Snow White Queen
by LyricalSin
Summary: The original Incubus has found new prey. Now, not only does poor Ichigo have to come to terms with the fact that demons are very real, he has to dodge the advances of the supernatural world's most lustful entity hichi-ichi
1. Chapter 1

*Bleach belongs to Kubo and 'Snow White Queen' to Evanescence.

Warning: Some subconcious Noncon. oral in this chapter, not really indepth/graphic but there.

_Snow White Queen (1)_

"_Stoplight lock the door,_

_Don't look back._

_Undress in the dark,_

_And hide from you,_

_All of you..."_

_'This doesn't make any sense! Where is everyone!'_ The orange haired young male dashed through the empty streets of the city, trying desperately to make it home before that thing caught up with him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it was after him, he could feel it. He didn't bother slowing at stoplights, the walk signs irrelevant when all the cars were unmoving and abandoned in the middle of the street.

Finally, he rounded the last corner and entered a tattered looking, but sturdy building and bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time. Rushing down the hall of the fifth and final floor, he hastily fumbled with his keys while approaching the last door on the right, nearly crying out when he dropped them just feet away from his destination. A loud echo-like cackle filled the hall and he whipped around in terror, only to find it empty, _'Where the hell is it coming from?' _

"_...You'll never know the way _

_your words have haunted me._

_I can't believe you'd _

_ask these things of me,_

_You don't know me_

_Now and Ever!.."_

Anger fueling his bravery, he shouted at it, "What do you want?"

As the hall quieted, he almost thought he'd scared it off, but before he could get too comfortable, a watery voice answered, "Isn't it obvious? I'm here for you." Despite the echo against the walls, the voice didn't seem very close.

Scared, but confident enough that he was alone in the hall, he expanded on the question, voice slightly shaky, "What do you want from me?"

He waited a little longer in silence before it spoke again, though this time the voice seemed stronger, closer, "Everything. I want you to belong only to me."

"_...You belong to me_

_My snow white queen,_

_There's no where to run_

So let's just get it over..."

Suddenly, he heard fast and heavy footfalls on the stairs, each one closer and louder that the one before. Not curious enough to wait for the source, he quickly retrieves his fallen keys and finishes the journey, slamming his apartment door shut behind him and throwing the locks into place. The room is dark and silent, the only light spilling in from the moonlit window, and the only sound his harsh panting. _'I made it.'_

Not thinking to question anything further, he strips out of his clothes and crawls into bed. His eyes close immediately as the long and tiresome run takes it's toll on his body, but his mind refuses to rest. His eyes snap back open as something warm, slick, and smooth glides along his jaw and he freezes in terror at the gold on black eyes of the being above him. "_I've got you now...Ichigo."_

"_...Soon I know you'll see_

_You're just like me,_

_Don't scream any more my love,_

_Cause all I want is You..."_

Deep, expressive brown eyes snapping open, the bright haired male nearly jumps out of his seat as the train intercom announces the next stop and he is pushed into wake-fullness. _'What the- A dream?'_ Letting out a sigh of relief, he shakes his head at his own stupidity for falling asleep on the train. _'To many late nights studying.'_

Reaching to the side for his bag, he blindly brushes it against the passenger next to him. Turning to apologize, his words catch in his throat at the sight of the man. With looks eerily similar to his own, the pure white skinned male's perfect body was reclined in a comfortable position with his head resting against the window, eyes closed. Silvery highlights graced spiky hair as white as his skin, both features accentuated by the dark clothes he wore, black slacks with a navy button up shirt and black tie.

Giving the briefest thought that the man must have just gotten off work, Ichigo was more drawn to the pale triangular patch of skin showing underneath the loosened tie and three undone buttons. Without thinking he reached out to touch that tantalizing patch of skin, wondering if it was as soft as it looked, but when the intercom came back on to announce his stop, the trance was broken and he jerked back, mortified at what he'd almost done. Rushing to the sliding doors, he was out before they even finished opening. He never looked back to see the smirk on the alabaster male's face, or the gold on black eyes crack open to watch him run off.

"_...Wake up in a dream,_

_Frozen fear._

_All your hands on me,_

_I can't scream..."_

When he finally made it home, Ichigo was exhausted. He didn't bother eating, and barely made it out of his clothes before collapsing on the bed and crawling into the soft, white cotton sheets, the night warm enough to forgo the comforter. Despite his nightmare on the train, sleep came easy and his last thought before drifting off, was of the strange, attractive man on the train.

Ichigo wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, or what exactly had woken him up, but when he felt a light fluttering across his cheek, his eyes snapped open, heart jumping to his throat. He nearly laughed when he realized it was just the curtain, but the icy fear came back quickly when his sleep induced mind caught up and realized that he hadn't opened the window, and anytime it was closed, he kept it _locked_. He tried to jump up and look for the possible intruder, but soon found that he couldn't move. He could fist his hands and twist his feet, but anytime he tried to get up, or move his arms and legs, it was like an invisible force was weighing him down.

"_...I can't scream!.."_

He tried to call out to anyone who might be there, ask what was going on, but his voice wouldn't work either. His fear escalated as he felt hands grip his ankles but upon tilting his head down to look, no one was there. The grip shifted and despite his attempts at fighting, his legs were slowly pulled apart, until he was spreadeagled to the point where his manhood peaked through the hole in his thin boxers.

As the hands began gliding up his legs, he tried to scream again, only to be met with silence.

"_...I can't escape the Twisted_

_Way you think of me,_

_I feel you in my Dreams_

_And I don't sleep.."_

When the hands Reached his hips, they paused, toying with the hem of his boxers as a moist heat wrapped around his limp member through the cloth, what he could only assume to be a tongue, slipping it's way through the hole and stroking where ever it could reach.

"_...I don't sleep!.."_

Under any other circumstance, it would have probably felt amazing, but he was confused and terrified, which completely outweighed any possible pleasure. After about thirty seconds of receiving no reaction, the tongue retreated and the cool air of the room on his wet sensitive skin made him shiver.

"_...You belong to me_

_My snow white queen,_

_There's no where to run_

_So let's just get it over..."_

One of the hands on his hips moved upward, over his abdominal muscles, up his chest and finally crested behind the curve of his neck and shoulder to glide fingers through his hair and lift the back of his head slightly. He felt the breath of another across his face, mingling with his own quick gasps, "Shh love, no need to be scared. I'm sorry for failing to control myself a second ago, but I would never hurt you Ichigo." _'That voice!'_ He knew he recognized it from somewhere, but before he could place it, he felt the other's tongue slide along his lower lip and into his already open mouth. He might not have control of the rest of his body, but he knew for damn sure his teeth worked when he bit down harshly and the being over him pulled back with a hiss. And while it had seemed like a good idea at the time, he couldn't quite figure out why he had done something so stupid while he was so vulnerable.

Screwing his eyes shut while he wait for retaliation, they immediately snapped wide open as the only response was a laugh that he definitely recognized. _'This is the same thing that was chasing me in my dream! Why can't I see it?'_ "Don't worry Ichi, I told you that I'd never hurt ya an' I meant it. Though ya should know, the more you resist me, the more I want ya, and the harder it is ta control myself."

As it finished speaking a loud persistent beep echoed through the room. "Damn, I guess we'll have to stop here. I'll see you again soon love, don't forget who you belong to..."

"_...Soon I know you'll see_

_You're just like me,_

_Don't scream anymore my love_

_Cause all I want is you!.."_

Shooting upright in bed, sheets flying, he quickly glances around the room, checking the window and looking for anything out of place. Everything is just the way he'd left it before going to bed. Mumbling a curse at his subconscious, he smacks the blaring alarm clock and rolls out of bed to get ready for the day. _'I'm never sleeping again.'_

_**_I'm stopping here for now, because this is where I finished editing. If I keep everything the same, you will learn more about Shiro in chapter 2 or 3.

_*_So, yes this was supposed to be a one-shot in 10 Clicks, but as I was writing it just kept going, and going, and going...LoL It was also supposed to be a shorter one because I don't really have experience as a supernatural writer, so I thought it would suck. Now it owns me.


	2. Chapter 2

***To the readers of my other stories- Yes, things are slow right now. We are approaching mid-terms and due dates of first round project drafts…and my birthday. God I'm getting old. Anyway, I am updating this because I had most of it (and the next chapter) already finished and just needed to edit…and because I love you al-well, most of you ;) and feel bad for making you wait.

**Bleach is Kubo's, no songs to mention this time.

_Snow White Queen (2)_

"...osaki?" Woken by the sound of a quiet voice and the light shaking of his shoulder, his head lifted off tan arms crossed over the desk. Blinking to adjust to the light, he tried to recall where he was when the sound of bells chimed in the distance, signaling the hours' end and rustling was heard all around. _'I fell asleep in class?' _He'd never done that before and while he was upset about missing the notes, he'd be lying if he said that the dreamless sleep was un-welcomed. After the past few nights of restlessly sleeping, he was afraid he'd have to make a trip to the doctor.

Eyes finally focusing, shaggy blond hair and worried gray eyes filled his vision, "My, my, you've never fallen asleep in my class before Mr. Kurosaki, are you feeling ill?"

Ichigo leaned back in his seat and further away from the intrusive Urahara currently slouched over his desk, "No, sorry Professor, I just haven't been sleeping well. It won't happen again."

With the last student, save himself, gone the room was quiet and he found himself trying to shrink away from the calculating gaze of the older male. Finally his professor sighed and stood straight once more, "If you're certain. I will E-mail you the notes from today. We can't have my best student failing his next exam now can we?"

Relieved, but embarrassed all the same, he gave a sincere 'thanks' and rushed from the room.

Thankfully, anatomy was his last class of the day and now, the only thing that stood between Ichigo and his bed was the train station- sorry, _subway_. He remembered the odd look from a man last week when he got turned around while exploring and asked where the train station was. _'What's the big deal? They're the same freaking thing anyway!'_

English not being his native language, he'd occasionally use a word that didn't quite fit in with the city lingo. Most of the time people don't -or at least pretend they don't notice, and just gloss right over it, but occasionally he'll get the asshole that looks at him like he doesn't belong here. He wondered if that ever happened to Americans when in Japan. He'd always been nice to visitors, but he knew there were some pretty big dicks back home too.

Big dicks were including, but not limited to, his dearest 'call me uncle Souske.' To his knowledge, Aizen was his only living relative and not a day goes by where the bastard is missed. Ichigo worked his ass off in high school so he could get a scholarship to anywhere else and get away from the creepy man.

Being only five when his parents died, he doesn't remember them that well, but he does remember playing 'doctor' with his father's stethoscope quite often. He would like to say that he is just as fascinated now by the idea of becoming a doctor as he was back then, but he quit trying to tell himself pretty lies long ago. In reality, his 'dream' is nothing more than a means of escape. An escape from his past, and that man, in a last ditch effort to conserve what was left of his sanity.

He turned off York Avenue to 68th St. quickening his pace slightly. The subway station is four blocks away and if he makes it there before the 6:09 train departs, he won't have to wait an additional 15 minutes for the next one.

The dull roll of thunder could be heard in the distance and the smell of rain was heavy in the air. Maybe if he was lucky, he'd get home before the sky started falling. Cars were backed up in the street, and there was no shortage of honking among the crowd. People always did seem to get more impatient when the weather looked like it'd turn bad, himself included.

Approaching the last block before the station, a light drizzle broke out accompanied by a few heavy drops. Cursing himself for forgetting his umbrella, he quickened to a light jog, easily weaving his way through the diminishing crowd.

Just as he passed the threshold of the sheltered station, a bolt of lightning split the sky accompanied by the crack of thunder, marking the start of a torrential downpour. _'Damn that was lucky.' _

Boarding the 6:09 to Manhattan, he picked his usual center seat and watched the other passengers shuffle on board. Some apparently hadn't gotten as lucky as he had, sopping hair and clothes weighed down by the waterfall outside. About to turn his attention away from the unfortunate, he caught a glimpse of white just as the door slid shut. _'The man from the yesterday.'_

He blushed as images from his almost physical encounter flashed through his mind. That tantalizing patch of skin was now covered by a soaking hunter green dress shirt. He was entranced once more as he watched the water drip from silvery white spikes onto the obviously very fit body underneath clinging clothes. Apparently, this gorgeous man had been one of the unfortunate, but try as he might, Ichigo couldn't help but feel lucky about that as he watched the man's muscles move beneath his saturated attire. When he finally processed that the man was headed in his direction, auburn eyes quickly diverted elsewhere, lest he get caught staring.

He nearly forgot how to breathe as the object of his inexplicable freakish obsession claimed the spot right next to him. _'How many empty seats did he pass to get here?'_

"Damn, it's a freakin' mess outside." The smooth, water-like voice of his new companion did nothing to curb his new fascination.

"Yeah, it's pretty bad. Shouldn't last too long though..." Reaching in his bag, Ichigo grabbed the small hand-towel he'd gotten into the habit of carrying during his years of phys-ed and handed it over, "...here, take this."

Finally looking up, he caught the surprised golden gaze of the other and couldn't look away. He didn't get the chance to see them last time, but the man's eyes were incredible. They were a shade of gold unlike any other, and while the color seemed familiar, he couldn't quite place where he'd seen it. Then the pale Adonis smiled, and Ichigo briefly wondered if he had been struck by lightning and was living out a dream. "Thanks..."

Blinking out of his trance, he quickly supplied what the other was looking for, "Ichigo."

If possible, the smile got wider, "Thanks Ichigo. Name's Shirosaki, but you can call me Shiro."

Smiling at the fitting name of his new acquaintance, Ichigo leaned back and watched in envy as Shiro ran the lucky towel over his face and through is dripping locks. He wasn't quite sure what made him want to touch this man, but his fingers had been itching to do so ever since he first laid eyes on him. Not normally being the touchy-feely type, this new development was slightly unnerving and he couldn't seem to quiet the paranoid voice in the back of his head telling him that something wasn't right. _'Get a grip, Ichigo! It's just a crush, that's all.'_

"So Ichigo, where are ya from?" '_See, completely normal_._' _

"Well, I moved here from Japan a couple years back for school, you?"

"I guess you could say a little of everywhere, I tend to move around a lot, but currently home is a not so cozy little loft in the Bronx."

"Why stay there if you don't like it?"

"At the time it was convenient, but I won't be there much longer. I'm moving into an apartment off Spring Street next week."

_'No freakin' way...' _"Crescent Valley?"

One silver brow rose, "Yeah, how'd ya know?"

Ichigo chuckled, shaking his head at the odds, "Looks like we'll be neighbors."

"No shit?" His look of disbelief was just as attractive as the rest.

"You're not one of those hardcore partiers who blares their music until 5am right?"

Shiro laughed; the sound had Ichigo in awe and for some reason, gave him a strange feeling of deja-vu, "Nah, Ichi. I got better things ta do with my nights."

_'Ichi?'_

"_Next stop, Spring Street, Lafeyette and Spring."_

Ichigo grabbed his bag and stood, "Well, guess I'll be seeing you around."

Shiro smiled up at him, "You can count on it."

= = _page_ _break_ = =

He was on the train again, heading...somewhere. He looked out the window, watching contently as the landscape of his native country passed by. Suddenly he wasn't alone, as a familiar white form claimed the seat next to him, _"_Shiro_?"_

He was dressed in white, and looked just as amazing as ever, those alluring golden eyes pulling him in again. Without thinking, he reached out and let his fingers brush across the triangular bare patch of skin starting from his collarbone and dipping to the spot just above and between his pectoral muscles.

"_You don't have to hold back Ichigo."_

His voice was different somehow...It carried further, almost echo-like and seemed a bit higher. But the change was for the most part lost on Ichigo, as his attention was focused solely on his own fingers working the buttons on the white shirt. The only thing that mattered in that moment was touching more. More of that chiseled body. More of that smooth skin. More of anything this man had to offer.

Soon enough buttons were no longer an obstacle and tan hands slid up a bare pale chest, working their way over muscled shoulders, pushing the white material off the rest of the way. Tracing the lines of Shiro's torso with his fingertips, he never missed the way a muscle would flex or twitch as he passed. He was entranced with every small movement, every inch of skin he could see, but it wasn't enough. Touching wasn't enough. No, now he wanted to..._taste._

"_Can I touch you, Ichi?"_

Confused at both the question and where he wanted to start his oral exploration, he spared a glance at Shiro's face, noting, but unconcerned that his eyes seemed to glow.

"_Why couldn't you?" _That color...There is something he should be remembering...

"_I don't want to scare you again." _Gold...Bright, glowing gold...

"_Again?" _Then there was the black, creeping, swirling around the gold. Black consuming the eyes but not drowning out the color...He knows those eyes. Visions flash through his mind- running, yelling, trapped, silent screams of terror, those eyes chasing and hovering. A nightmare shaded in black and gold. _'I have to run! Run Ichigo! Run...Run..Run!' _

"Run!" Shooting up in bed, sweat flinging from dampened orange locks, he frantically looks around, not completely sure of where he is. The adrenaline slowly begins to subside as he picks features of his room out of the darkened space. _'Damn fucked up dreams.'_

His subconscious really made a leap tonight though. Tying his new crush into the nightmare...Didn't even let him finish getting off. Bastard. He looks miserably down into his lap at his still uncomfortable erection, and runs a sweat sticky palm through his tousled hair. There's no way he could sleep like this. Groaning, he throws back the tangled up sheet and trudges to the bathroom. Flipping on a single incandescent bulb, he takes a brief look at his tired features in the medicine cabinet mirror and drags his sleep deprived body to the bathtub. Turning the knob toward the red arrow, he steps under the heated spray and lets the water beat against his tense muscles.

Body relaxing to the heat and steam, he grabs the shampoo bottle, purposefully squirting far too much into his hand, before replacing the bottle and smearing his hands together. One hand moves to watered down tangerine hair, while the other glides across his body.

While soaping up, his mind wanders back to the dream, and he remembers the 'feel' of Shiro's skin underneath his fingertips. His eyes roll back and his knees shake as he grabs his still hard member, soapy hand sliding from base to tip, over and over. His cheeks turn pink as he moans out the name he just learned today, imagining a ripped white body grinding against his own. "Mmn-Shiro."

_'yes Ichi...'_

"So hot." God, it was hot. With the heat, steam, and pleasure he begins to feel lightheaded, and has to lower himself to his knees to avoid passing out. As the burning pleasure in his abdomen increases, so does the speed of his hand, working in rapid strokes and alternating pressures, bringing him closer and- "Oh God!" Shiro pushes inside him as the pleasure crests, and the last thing he sees before that euphoric peak and liquid release, is that gold on black gaze hungrily drinking him in.

_'God I am so fucked up.'_

****My heart goes out to the citizens of Northeastern Japan…I wish you all the best in this tragic time. 3/11/2011


	3. Chapter 3

_***Yes, for those who have read it, I borrowed the first part of this chapter from Infractus Somnium. It is also worth noting that it is written as close as I could get to a childlike perspective because that is Ichigo's mindset in the dream-if you remember from the last chapter, he was 5 when his parents died._

_**Bleach is Kubo's but Infractus Somnium is mine…well the premise at least. _

_Snow White Queen (3)_

His lungs burned and his tears were starting to freeze on his cheeks, but he had to keep running- he promised his mother he would. He didn't know what the strange man wanted, but he knew that he had hurt his dad with a gun and kept telling his mom that she "should have chosen more wisely." He tried to see his dad, make sure he was ok, but his mom was holding him too tight. The only things he could see were her black coat surrounding him and her long red dress pooling on the street. His ears had still been ringing from the bang of the gun, but he still heard her whisper for him to run, "I love you. Now run and don't look back." He'd heard the man yell and by the time he was at the end of the alley, another bang sounded.

He heard the pounding of feet behind him, the sound echoing off the walls surrounding the empty street. Why? Why did he have to beg for dessert at dinner tonight? Now his mom and dad were-

"I've got you." He tried to scream as the man's arms wrapped around him, but before he could get the breath to do it, a large hand covered his mouth. He kicked and thrashed all he could to get loose, his runny nose and the unmoving hand making it hard to breathe. Black spots started covering his sight as he struggled to take a breath, his body slowly starting give up, _'No! Somebody help me…please…'_

Just before falling asleep he distantly heard a different voice, it sounded like water, "The only night I show up late, you go and start having nightmares."

All of the sudden, he could breathe again while the man holding him began to dissolve into thin air. "I don't think I like how closely rooted to yer memories this one is." What the new voice said didn't make sense, but that didn't matter, he was saved! He turned around and gazed up at the owner of the odd voice, seeing that his looks were just as strange, _'He's all white.'_

The man knelt down and put a hand on his head, "Can you tell me what happened before I got here?"

The question made him remember his parents in the alley. He had to see if they were ok. Grabbing the stranger's hand, he turned and began running, the white man keeping up easily. The way back felt a lot shorter, but he couldn't understand what was going on when they got there. He heard everything that had happened, all over again, but nothing was in the alley. The voices were even echoing off the alley walls.

At the sound of the first bang, he jumped and moved closer to the white man, but was still looking all over for where it came from '_this is the right place…right?'_

Sensing the small dream figures confusion, Shiro knelt down to tell him what was really happening, keeping a close ear on the unmanned conversation behind them, "You're havin' a dream right now Ichi. These are yer memories playing back what you've forgotten. Ya can't see them now because you never really saw anything that happened. Here, close your eyes…" When only the small figures eyelids were visible he continued, "…What do you see?"

"Mommy's coat…and dress." His eyes opened again, confusion replaced with saddening realization, "Memories? Then…my mom and dad…" Fresh tears welled up in sad brown eyes and the small, dream Ichigo gave a loud wail as the second gunshot tore through the silence.

Shiro pulled the small being close and carried him away from the alley. Shifting through the memories he'd already seen in Ichigo's dreams, he stepped into a new one. Cherry petals fell from the tree they were now under, dancing in the wind and over the pond that lay in front of them. The small tear stained face of his companion looked up curiously, sniffles beginning to dissipate, "Where are we?"

"One of your favorite dreamscapes. I think you actually created this one from fragments of things you saw over the years in Japan. It doesn't seem to be linked to a whole memory." The child-Ichigo didn't make any effort to be put down from his hold, so he sat settling the being in his lap.

They sat staring at the scenery for what could have been hours, Ichigo never releasing his hold on his white stranger. "If this is my dream, who are you?"

Shiro shrugged, "That depends on who you ask, it's different in most cultures and times."

"Who are you to me?"

He had to smile at that, "We're still working on that."

Orange hair brushed under his chin as the child figure pulled back to look at him, "If you can't tell me any of that, do you at least have a name?"

He snorted, of course Ichigo was a smart kid, "You call me Shiro."

Content with the answer, brown eyes turned back to the water. "Shiro…am I going to remember what happened to my parents when I wake up?"

"Do you want to remember?"

Doubt and insecurity clouded his young features, "…I-I don't know. Will the nightmares go away if I remember?"

"I can make sure that they never come back. Do you trust me?" Shiro knew that 'real' Ichigo probably consciously questioned the events of that night, but he could put off the ugly truth until his future lover trusted him to help manage the emotional fallout.

His little orange head nodded rapidly.

"Alright, then for now you won't remember and the nightmare won't come back."

Small Ichigo looked at him in awe, "You can really do that?"

He grinned, "Of course. That kind of thing is child's play for someone of my level."

"Are you an angel?"

He couldn't help it; he nearly laughed the child off his lap, "Definitely not. Pretentious lot those guys. Don't worry, you'll find out all about me soon enough."

"Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." And with a kiss on the cheek, everything went dark, gold on black eyes opening to see his preferred version of the orange headed human. The slow rise and fall of his prey's chest signified a deep and peaceful sleep. Instead of giving into temptation to taste the berry, he quietly settled down beside him, stroking the sweaty bangs away from closed eyes. Shiro supposed he deserved the sleep; after all, they could always pick back up tomorrow.

***I can't believe I fit a fluffball in here lol…Definitely not in the original planning but necessary background for the story's future. And yes, I know it's short, _but_ most of the next chapter is already written and things start to pick up there. We will have Ichigo questioning his sanity as our favorite perverted demon makes his first 'attack' against the non-slumbering mortal.

**If you have reviewed my other stories (or this one) and I have not responded, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't like you, or am unappreciative (I very much like hearing from you!), I just suck at balancing my life…and by the time I actually get around to responding, my memory craps out and I can't remember who I've thanked and who I haven't. So for now, let me just say thanks to ALL of you and promise to work harder at more timely responses.


	4. Chapter 4

_**_Woo, been a while hasn't it? Good news though…I have finally finished with my undergrad career! I will be gone without internet for about a month this summer (rainforests tend to get poor connections), but I should have another chapter or two out before I leave.

_*_Bleach is Kubo's and Snow White Queen is by Evanescence

_Snow White Queen (4)_

Splashing the cool water from the faucet on his face, Ichigo stayed hunched over for a bit, letting the drops roll off his skin and into the porcelain sink. Blindly reaching for the towel dispenser next to him, he dried the rest of the water and stood up straight, not missing the exhausted features reflected in the mirror. It almost didn't even look like him anymore.

Sleep hadn't been coming any easier the past few days and it was really starting take a toll on both his body and mind. Everyday activities that he used to not even think twice about, like walking to and from the subway and class, taking the stairs, focusing during lectures, and countless other non-demanding things were increasingly becoming physically taxing. After bombing his last organic chemistry test, he finally went in to see a doctor, who upon physical inspection could only recommend a good psychiatrist for his "Apparent insomnia." Can he really even diagnose that? Of all the things Ichigo was, an insomniac was not one of them. Slightly antisocial and borderline obsessive compulsive perhaps, but he never had trouble sleeping until recently. Until the dreams started…

At first they were just ordinary nightmares-he would be scared and running from something he couldn't quite identify. Then they started becoming more…graphic. Sure, he told the doctor about having the dreams, but he never mentioned the increasing sexual assaults of the thing chasing him. His mind finally supplied a face to the glowing eyes, and cruelly enough it just happened to edit in the one of his newfound crush. So now, when the thing in his dream caught up with and began molesting him, his body would actually respond, but before the dream gets too far, his subconscious 'self' feels that something is wrong and harshly jerks him back into consciousness. Unfortunately, slightly damp boxers and 3 A.M. showers are becoming more of a routine than he'd like.

Shaking his head at the image displayed in the mirror, he exited the deserted school library's restroom and glanced at the clock above the bookkeepers' desk, 12:27 A.M. reads in digital, bold red numbers. Cursing his lack of focus for the insignificant progress on his half-finished project, he packed up his things and started the trek back home. Since mid-terms are close, the library has temporarily adopted overnight hours, though few students actually take advantage. Admittedly, he's only there because it's one of the few places he can still kind of focus on his schoolwork instead of fantasizing about a certain white haired neighbor.

He still couldn't believe Shiro now only lived just down the hall. After taking caution to avoid the man on the way home because the recent activities of his subconscious made him feel and probably act incredibly awkward, Ichigo just happened to run into him yesterday right in front of his door. He was so flustered by the inappropriate images from the night prior that he can't even remember the short conversation- something about the move, and how he's been… In any case, one good thing about staying out this late is that he is certain to avoid the same awkward meeting. Really, he needs to stay away from this man until he can get his hormones in check or he might just jump the poor bastard without warning. '_Today in the headlines, local businessman gets raped on the subway by horny student.' _Yeah, he'd like to avoid that one.

Apparently, Tuesday nights are not very popular in this part of town. The empty sidewalks glow an eerie yellow under the streetlamps and the only sounds are of the cars driving by. It was strange for him to witness so many people out so late at night, when the streets in his home town were empty by 10 or 11, but it was comforting to not be the only one out. Reaching the subway, he just catches the 12:47 train, noticing that aside from himself there is only a single occupant. A male, couldn't be more than 15 or 16, with overly baggy clothes, multiple piercings, and headphones hanging around his neck. He gives the kid a courtesy nod and turns back to the door, just in time to notice one all too familiar passenger step on before the doors close. No way.

Ichigo smiled and joked, "You aren't one of those psychotic stalkers or something right?"

Shiro grinned and approached him, "Ya got me."

Just after the white figure responded, a voice spoke up from behind them, "Dude, who the fuck'er you talkin' to?"

Ichigo turns and gives the punk kid a disapproving look, "Excuse me?"

The punk looks a bit uncomfortable and starts to fidget with his headphones, "Um…there's no one there and yer sayin' shit. Just makin' sure ya weren't talkin' to me."

"No…" Looking at the kid like he's nuts, Ichigo turns back to where Shiro…was? Sure enough, the car was empty save for him and the punk behind him- _'What the hell?'_

Shocked, he sits down and places his head in his hands. Is he dreaming again? Or is all this stress and lack of sleep making him lose his damn mind? He looks back up as the train slows at the next stop and is unsurprised as the kid hurries off. Can't really blame him for not wanting to sit by the psycho. As the doors slide closed, Ichigo jumps at the breath in his ear, heart leaping into his throat.

"Sorry, it wouldn't be beneficial to have you thrown in a nut house somewhere."

Ichigo jumps at the unexpected voice, pushing himself as far back into the seat as he can. "I'm dreaming again."

The white form of his neighbor quickly materializes next to him and Ichigo just wishes that the seat would open up and swallow him, "Nuh-uh, don't start that shit. You know how many people accidentally kill themselves because they are convinced they're dreaming? That's why I try to avoid mortals in the conscious state."

"Fine, for the sake of argument, I'm not dreaming, just insane. Now what the hell are you?"

"All in due time, dear Ichi. No point in explaining things till you're convinced I'm real."

"So you are saying I should just commit myself now, because you're not going away."

"Well, one of your deductions is correct..." The white being advances too quickly for him to react and straddles him, pinning his arms in place and latching onto his neck.

Try as he might, struggling is getting him nowhere and much to his mortification, his body begins to react to the weight on his groin and the sucking on his neck, the addition of teeth only making him harder.

Out of nowhere, Shiro stops and pulls back, smiling at his obvious state of distress, "There...now when you wake up tomorrow, you'll know I can exist outside of your dreams and that you aren't losing it."

Before he can even think to respond, Shiro steals a quick kiss and simply disappears, leaving him in a state of confusion and disbelief. The programmed intercom announcing his stop is nothing more than background noise for his whirling thoughts.

'_What the fuck just happened?'_

He felt as if he were floating, the walk home nothing more than a hazy memory. Entering his apartment building he slowly ascended the stairs and stopped at the edge of his hallway. His apartment was at the end of the hall, meaning he needed to pass Shiro's door to get there. He should be scared, but for some reason can't bring himself to feel much of anything. In this disconnected state even his earlier exhaustion is completely forgotten. Putting one foot in front of the other he makes his way down the silent hall, only pausing briefly to glance at Shiro's door-nothing. Still, he couldn't help but feel that he was being watched. Perhaps he should go to see that psychiatrist after all.

"_Stoplight lock the door,_

_Don't look back._

_Undress in the dark,_

_And hide from you,_

_All of you..."_

Locking his door behind him, he drops his bag on the floor but doesn't bother turning on the light. Though it doesn't make sense, he feels as though the darkness helps hide him from…what? _'God I'm tired.'_ He pulls his shirt over his head on the way to the bedroom, stopping at the foot of his bed.

"_...You'll never know the way _

_your words have haunted me._

_I can't believe you'd _

_ask these things of me,_

_You don't know me_

_Now and Ever!.."_

What did Shiro mean earlier "…I try to avoid mortals in the conscious state…" Was that even really Shiro? _'Am I really going crazy?'_

He stands there for a bit longer before snorting and shaking his head, this was stupid. Shiro was his neighbor and an ordinary businessman who travels to and from work on the subway, just like countess other people. The guy didn't even really know him. This is just a manifestation of sleep deprivation, that's all. Despite the conviction, he decided to crawl into bed with his pants still on, sleep taking him somewhat faster tonight.

"_...You belong to me_

_My snow white queen,_

_There's nowhere to run_

So let's just get it over..."

"_Tch, didn't even bother to finish undressing before bed Ichi?"_ Shiro looked down at the slumbering human, enjoying the idea of finishing the job for him.

Reaching down, white fingers popped the button open on slim fitting jeans and slowly tugged down the zipper beneath. Imagine his pleasure as short, groomed orange hair was exposed _'No underwear today love?'_

"_...Soon I know you'll see_

_You're just like me,_

_Don't scream any more my love,_

_Cause all I want is You..."_

Ghosting his fingertips over the visible hairs, he moved up over tight built abs and the toned chest to rest his hand loosely around the humans' neck. Leaning down, pale lips touch slightly parted pinkish ones, blue tongue lightly tracing the opening. Dream Ichigo was resisting him again, but the protests were weak, and his body was responding better than ever.

Lips still barely touching, Shiro whispers to his sleep entrapped lover, _"What's wrong Ichi? I know you want this just as badly as I do. All you have to do is give in…Give yourself to me."_

With his words he felt the other's will slipping, fear transforming to pleasure and need. Finally, tonight he would have him. Moving to the foot of the small bed he grips the bottom of the jeans and slowly pulls them off, as any harsh movements may shock his prey into wakefulness.

Completely nude, tan skin greets yellow on black eyes and an electric blue tongue slips out to moisten pale lips. He desperately needed to taste this human. Crawling onto the bed, he leans down, snaking his tongue out to trace swollen balls and travel up the rigid shaft that signified Ichigo's own need. Licking off the gathered droplet at the tip, Shiro quickly descended once more, this time engulfing the human's entire erection, drinking up the pleasure and sleep deluded moans. Swirling his tongue around the tip before every quick descent, he worked himself into a routine frenzy, desperately trying to take what his prey had to offer. As soon as Ichigo's body tensed, he knew he'd succeeded. He felt the balls tighten in his palm and sealed his lips around the erection's tip, sucking out every drop he could. He was right, his new human tasted divine.

"_...Wake up in a dream,_

_Frozen fear._

_All your hands on me,_

_I can't scream..."_

He'd awoken to a room not his own, candlelight glinting off dark satin sheets and light touches tracing his body. He's scared and unable to move, but could feel everything. His body betrayed him by heating up to every touch, the more intense heat pooling down in his groin. As his growing erection made his desire known, the figure above him whispered words that he couldn't deny, _"What's wrong Ichi? I know you want this just as badly as I do. All you have to do is give in…Give yourself to me."_

It was true, he did want it-God he wanted it so badly he was shivering in anticipation, but something _was_ wrong. What was it again? Barely grasping the edge of his memory, his mind was suddenly wiped blank as moist heat surrounded his aching member. Glancing down he watched in a pleasure filled trance as white spikes rose and fell, his lower anatomy tightening with every motion. _'Faster, faster, yes, more, more, so close…' _Eyes rolling back and body tensing, he tried screaming but no sound came out as all that liquid heat in his lower body exploded. In orgasmic bliss he distantly heard Shiro's moans as he drank it all down.

"_...I can't escape the Twisted_

_Way you think of me,_

_I feel you in my Dreams_

_And I don't sleep._

_I don't sleep…"_

He felt like he was floating, hazy eyes returning to the figure below only to be met with glowing yellow and the deepest inescapable black. Suddenly the fear returned and his mind began screaming warnings once more. A loud beeping started out of nowhere and he turned his head frantically to search for the sound. Amidst the chaos of his mind and the sound, he heard Shiro growl as everything around him began to disappear.

Teetering on the edge of consciousness, a loud crash forces his eyes to snap open and his body to jump upright in bed. Heart hammering in his chest he realizes multiple things at once- He's back in his room, he was dreaming again, he's somehow naked, and something caused that sound. Getting his breathing under control, he realizes that he is alone in his room and not in any immediate danger and decides to look for the source of the crash, remaining alert for the possibility of an intruder.

Grabbing the long katana from under his bed, he slowly creeps around his apartment looking for anything out of place. Nothing. The door is still locked and the apartment is quiet. Walking back to his room, he flips on the light and his eyes immediately fall to the small hole in the wall and the shattered alarm clock on the floor below it. _'Did I do that?'_ He didn't remember anything other than the dream, but somehow he was naked, there was a hole in his wall, and his alarm clock was shattered.

Slipping the sword back under the bed, he pulls back on his jeans and begins to get ready for the day. It is an hour earlier than he normally gets up, but with his adrenaline still up and flowing he wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon. Three and a half hours of sleep to add to the maybe other three hours he's gotten so far this week…And every time he wakes up, he feels just a little bit weaker than the day before._ 'I think I'll make an appointment with that psychiatrist today.'_

"_...You belong to me_

_My snow white queen,_

_There's nowhere to run_

_So let's just get it over._

_Soon I know you'll see_

_You're just like me,_

_Don't scream anymore my love_

_Cause all I want is you..!"_

"_Next time dear Ichi…"_

***Yes I keep stopping the lyrics at 2:50 in the song…don't worry, we will finish them one day ;) …It is definite-Next chapter Shiro reveals what he is to Ichigo.


	5. Chapter 5

***I'm back! Yes my trip was amazing and I had a great time…Even though it was a month without the internet. Going without internet wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but I did miss all of you (lovely readers) and (to my beautiful favorite authors) reading your amazing stories. I have so much to catch up on! For those of you who reviewed during my hiatus, I will be getting back to you soon.

**Same as always, Bleach and characters belong to Kubo. I didn't miss much from the manga huh?

_Snow White Queen (5)_

Ichigo glanced outside, the world painted various shades of gray beyond the small office window. _'Looks like it might rain again.'_

"Aside from trouble sleeping, are you experiencing any other symptoms?"

Ichigo looked back over the desk of the man in front of him, stopping at the gold trimmed nameplate resting on the polished wood _'Gin Ichimaru.'_ He'd scheduled with this man based on name bias alone, thinking he would be more comfortable with a Japanese psychiatrist. He'll never make that assumption again. He was anything but comfortable sitting across from this creepy looking man while trying to figure out how to bring up the dreams he's been having when he actually does manage to sleep.

It wasn't that the man was unprofessional or anything, he was dressed nicely in black slacks and gray button up, and he'd been nothing but nice since the appointment started. Maybe it was the fact that his facial features never seemed to change, or that the only time he opened his dark red eyes was when he introduced himself. He was just...creepy.

Neatly trimmed nails tap on the wooden desk, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the doctor and patient, "Mr. Kurosaki?"

"Sorry, call me Ichigo." He really hated being spoken to formally.

The man raised a slim silver brow, eyes still obscured by silver lashes and his apparent natural squint, "Very well, Ichigo. Have you noticed anything else out of the ordinary?"

Tan hands fidgeted with a loose string on his ripped jeans as silence settled in the room once more, the only sound a low tick-tock from the grandfather clock in the corner. Well, he didn't come all this way for nothing, might as well get it over with, "Since it started, when I do sleep, I've been having weird dreams."

When his patient failed to elaborate, the doctor sat back in his leather chair, crossing his hands in his lap. "Dreaming in itself is nothing strange. What is it exactly that makes the recent dreams different?"

Ichigo could feel his face start to heat up, damn, he really didn't want to discuss this, "They're really vivid." He had nearly mumbled it but knew that the doctor heard him as he nodded and sat straight once more.

"So, I take it the dreams are sexual in nature then?"

Ichigo could have swallowed his tongue then and there. How could this man just say it so casually? Not trusting his own voice at the moment, he simply nodded and averted his eyes.

Sensing his patient's discomfort, the silver haired doctor attempted to put the young man at ease, "It's nothing to be ashamed of. We can't control where our subconscious takes us after all, and besides, the underlying message might not have anything to do with sex at all. However since we are on the topic is it alright if I ask a few personal questions?"

Realizing that he wasn't being judged made things a little easier and he decided to give the doctor a chance, "Shoot."

"Well, the check in form has you listed as single, but from the looks of things you are at least seeing someone, correct?"

"No. I've been single since I moved here from Japan and even before that was never in a serious relationship. What do you mean 'from the looks of things?'

"Apologies, I assumed that the mark on your neck was from a more passionate encounter."

Ichigo's hand shot up to the unexplainable mark that showed just above the neck of his black t-shirt, "Would you believe me if I said that I woke up with it?" He remembered the encounter with Shiro, or the thing that looked like Shiro, on the subway, but he was just dreaming that, right? He didn't actually remember much from the trip from school to home, so it was completely possible that he dreamt the whole thing, right?

"Well, I don't really have any reason not to. Has something like this happened before?"

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably, "Last week...I woke up with one on my inner thigh. It's possible that I just smacked myself in my sleep though, right?"

Dark red eyes cracked open for the first time since the beginning of the appointment, the doctor's facial features showing skepticism, "Sure, I suppose that's possible. It does look unmistakably like a hickey though. Do you have any roommates, or perhaps friends or neighbors that would have a spare key to your place?"

"No, I don't really know anyone here that well, why?"

"Well, while it is rare, I have gotten a patient or two that have experienced similar symptoms, only to find out that they were actually having sex in their sleep."

Brown eyes locked on the doctor, "Sexsomnia?"

"You've heard of it then. Yes, and typically it is accompanied by sleepwalking and talking, so others around the person might not even know they are sleeping."

It would explain a lot but, "But I live alone."

"Yes, and there are other things that could be accountable, but we might need to do an overnight session at the clinic in order to get an accurate diagnosis. Have you ever heard of a polysomnogram?"

"Yeah, it records sleep patterns or something." _'Yea for the internet and trying to diagnose myself.'_

"Yes, and I would like to make an appointment for you this week sometime if possible."

Ichigo scowled a bit, with everything going on in school right now he could barely make his appointment today, unless, "Is it possible to do it over the weekend?"

The doctor gave another one of those creepy smiles and nodded, "Of course. How does Saturday work for you?"

Doing his best not to cringe, he returned the smile "Sounds good."

~Page break~

Ichigo approached the subway, closed umbrella in one hand and new little pill bottle in the other. Dr. Ichimaru had given him a prescription to help him sleep until their appointment on Saturday. Apparently it was supposed to pull him into a deeper sleep past the dream state. He only hopes it will work, midterms start soon.

Not paying any attention to the crowd around him, he boards the subway, taking no notice of the fact that this particular tram is empty or that people unknowingly seem to be avoiding it. He finally looks up from the bottle as the intercom announces that the doors are closing and glances around confusedly. _'Where the hell is everyone?' _

He froze as an echoing chuckle filled the empty car, "Shocked by yer own obliviousness. Yer so cute Ichi!"

_'Am I dreaming again? When did I fall asleep?'_

A familiar white form materialized in the seat a few feet away, "Convinced I'm not a dream now?"

"...No." _'Don't freak out, don't freak out, don't-'_

Shiro, or the thing that looked like Shiro smirked, "Well, if the mark on your neck isn't proof enough, we could always go farther."

Turning beet red, Ichigo put his hands up and backed away a few steps, "Okay fine, hypothetically I'm not dreaming or insane. Now what the hell are you?"

The pale figure looked pleased to finally be getting somewhere with the thick headed young human, "I am Algol, son of the Jinn, Iblis."

If possible, the orange head looked more confused than before, "Algol? Wait...Jinn? As in demon?"

"Yes, though I believe most human culture knows Iblis as the devil."

With that, his confusion was replaced by skepticism, "You're telling me that you are the demon son of the devil?" _'This has to be a dream.'_

"Specifically, I am what is referred to as a ghoul, a type of demon who can walk amongst and interact with man."

"I always thought that ghouls were supposed to be hideous creatures that drank blood and ate human flesh..."

He wasn't by any means upset with the human's misconception, but there was no need to let his imagination wander down the wrong path. "Semantics. Tell me, when is the last time you actually heard of a person being mauled to death by an unidentifiable creature, or drained of all their 'missing' blood?"

"Aside from the movies, never. But then again, I've never heard of an invisible ghoul in real life either."

"M'not invisible. You can see me can't ya?"

"Yeah, and it's got me questioning my sanity. How come no one else can see you?"

And there it was, that creepy smile that haunts Ichigo's dreams, "Cause I don't want 'em to. I only have eyes for you Ichi."

He felt safer ignoring that one, "Whatever, and semantics? How could someone interpret eating people differently?"

And here he thought they were almost done with 20 questions, but no matter, his human was speaking to him at least, always a good sign. "Human religion provides strange ways of interpreting lots of things. For your question, it was an inaccurate translation of the demonic version of consumption. Most jinn obtain energy from absorbing human essence, or to put it simply, we feed off of human emotion. Depending on the type of jinn, certain emotions provide more energy than others, and some of us can interact with humans to amplify those emotions."

"So then, you feed mostly off of annoyance?"

The white male threw his head back, cackling loudly enough that Ichigo swore he heard the windows rattle. When he finally calmed down enough to speak, the still smirking white figure leveled a hungry gaze on the orange headed male, "I, dear Ichigo..."

Suddenly, the ghoul disappeared, making Ichigo jump and back into the wall of the tram, looking around for any sign of the other being. But just as quickly, he reappeared right in front of Ichigo, placing his hand on the wall right next to orange locks and leaning in dangerously close to the humans face, "...Am the original Incubus. I am Algol of Lust."

**Yes, I took some supernatural liberties here. But most of it is indeed found in folklore (I take pride in my research). Anyway, we'll have some more Ichigo/Shiro Q&A next chapter to help clarify a few things, and if all goes as planned the story's first complete lemon. I will gladly accept welcome back presents :)


	6. Chapter 6

**I know I said there might be a lemon in this chapter…but there's not, sadly. It just didn't fit. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you somehow. Quick update perhaps?

**Bleach belongs to Kubo.

_Snow White Queen (6)_

Rushing into his apartment and locking the door behind him, Ichigo made a beeline for his lap top in the bedroom, the words of the white demon still ringing loudly in in his head, _"I dear Ichigo, am the original Incubus. I am Algol of Lust."_

Shortly after speaking them, his head dipped down and he gave a long, slow lick to the petrified human's neck, just before disappearing as Ichigo's stop was announced. Shaking his head from the graphic memory of the warm, smooth slickness of the demon's tongue, Ichigo claimed a seat at his desk and quickly brought up the Internet, intent on researching what he'd been told.

'Incubus…Incubus…Let's see, says here that an Incubus is a male demon who lies upon sleepers in order to have sex with them...huh? So he's a pervert who rapes people in their sleep? And what the hell? An Incubus preys mostly on women of whom it tries to impregnate, so why the fuck is he after me?'

Thinking back to the dreams, Ichigo began to wonder if they were as real as they seemed. The thought made his face heat up uncontrollably and he quickly typed a different word into the search browser...

'Algol, a family of imperative computer programming languages, no...An underwater cave, no...Ah, the demon star? That might be something...Alright, Algol is a bright star in the Perseus constellation. The name is Arabic in origin, from Al Ghul. Some possible meanings listed are mischief maker, or the Ghoul...Both sound accurate, so I guess I can take his words as meaning-'

"What'cha doin' Ichi?"

Startled, Ichigo jumped up and whirled around, his chair falling backward onto the floor. Reclined casually on his bed, only a few feet away, sat the subject of his ire, "What the hell? What are...How did you...What the fuck!"

The ghoul chuckled, "Surprised? To answer your so articulately worded questions, I was wonderin' why you were still awake and came to check on ya. As for the 'how,' the human mind is most vulnerable to demonic possession when asleep, and luckily, that is exactly how I found you when we first met. You of course don't remember as you had so innocently fallen asleep on the subway ride home.* Circumnavigating your weakened mental barriers, I was able to create a permanent link to your subconscious. So now I can find you whenever I want. Neat huh?"

The demon smirked as Ichigo looked like he was about to explode, "No! Now get the hell out and leave me alone!"

"Aw, Ichigo that's not very nice. After I came all this way to check on ya too." Getting up, he advances a few steps toward the fuming human, who in turn retreats the same few steps and into a wall.

Expecting to have to fight, Ichigo tries to relax his tense muscles and clear his mind, but is pleasantly surprised when the ghoul stops his advance, instead focusing on the lap top, still glowing brightly on the small wooden desk.

Glancing at the web page depicting various meanings of Algol, he smiles mischievously, "Thinking about me Ichigo?"

The human looked mortified at the demons tone, which dripped sexual huskiness, "Not like that asshole! Just trying to figure out what you are and what you want with me."

One silvery eyebrow rose, smirk still in place, "Sorry love, didn't realize it was that confusing. If ya didn't understand something, you could have just asked."

A small blush graced Ichigo's lightly freckled cheeks and nose, "I might have if you hadn't...hadn't..." The words died off, Ichigo far too embarrassed to finish the sentence, but the pale ghoul didn't have such reservations, suddenly appearing in front of him again, "Hadn't done this?" And repeating the unspoken action, slowly dragging his tongue from the frozen human's collarbone, up to the shell of one blushing ear.

When the tongue retreated, and Ichigo finally realized that it happened again, he tried to push the other away, but was unsuccessful as the ghouls supernatural strength kept him pinned in place against it's firm body and the unforgiving wall. Fear slowly started creeping back into his gut, the strength of the other reminding him that he's not dealing with anything human.

Before he could protest captivity, the demon, mouth still positioned at his ear, spoke in a low tone that made Ichigo's whole body tremble and heat move to places it shouldn't, a contradiction to the fear he was trying to keep at bay, "Now what exactly don't you understand?"

It took the human a minute to find his voice, but once he did the flow of words were rapid and an octave higher than normal, "Are you really an ancient, perverted demon, who rapes people in their sleep trying to get them pregnant?"

His captor chuckled, a low, echo like sound that intensified the heat his traitorous body was already feeling, "You shouldn't believe everything you read on the Internet, Ichigo. Ancient and perverted, most definitely, but I don't have to rape people to get what I need. After enough play in their dreamscape, they freely give what I want, just as you will. Centuries ago, I was foolish enough to impregnate a woman, but that is a story for another time as it is not something you will need to worry over."

Still unable to move, the orange headed male tried to distract both himself and the ghoul by re-asking his other question, "Why me?"

Moving back slightly, so he could wrap his arms around the now unobservant human, the demon answered honestly, "Being a bit of a narcissist, it was your looks that drew me to you at first. After entering your dreamscape though, I discovered how unique you were compared to others of your kind. Your will is solid as steel, yet you are unsure of yourself. You are intelligent, yet naive. Protective and strong for others, yet are generally unconcerned and weak when it comes to your own wellbeing. You are innocent and untouched, yet your body reacts to mine like we have been lovers for centuries. You are full of contradictions, Kurosaki Ichigo, and each one intrigues and enslaves me. Know Ichigo, that I will be the first and only being to have all of you."

=_ = Page Break = =_

Honestly, he didn't know whether to feel flattered or horrified. Twirling the little pill bottle in his hand he thought back to the words the demon had left him with earlier. Shortly after speaking the lengthy declaration of why he, ordinary Ichigo, was chosen, the demon claimed his lips in a bruising kiss and simply disappeared, leaving the room in silence like he was never there.

Having been unable to ignore the words, and still having unanswered questions, he swallowed his fear and marched to the apartment a few doors down, intent on getting answers. When his knocks went unanswered, he tried the handle and the door opened easily. _'Who the hell leaves their door unlocked in this part of town? Stupid demon.'_

As the door opened, he reached in and flipped on the light, freezing in confusion when the room was illuminated. Though it wasn't what he saw that had him stilling, more like what he didn't see that left him shocked…there was nothing. The apartment was completely empty. He knows Shiro lives there...saw him carrying a box in, had a conversation about the move before he disappeared behind that very door not even a week ago.

On a whim he decided to look around, maybe he just hadn't gotten all his stuff here yet? He checked everything, the fridge, cupboards, bathroom, bedroom...but came up with nothing save the clothes in the closet, the only thing suggesting any form of life had been there.

Pushing thoughts of the empty apartment away for the time being, he popped open the bottle and downed one of the sleeping pills he'd been prescribed by Dr. Ichimaru. Shiro said that he wouldn't outright rape him, and for some unattainable reason he believed him. The demon wanted to 'convince' him through dreams to give himself away, so he was safe as long as he couldn't dream, right? The doctor said that the dosage of the pills would sedate him enough to go past the dream state, and he just hoped the man was right. Better to find out sooner than later he supposed.

_==Page Break==_

Shiro carefully watched Ichigo after he had 'disappeared,' a little worried about how the human would react to all that information once he was alone. He didn't want to risk breaking the boys' mind. Imagine his shock when a determined Ichigo marched over and raided his own apartment. That was not something he had expected, of course neither was the sleep aid.

He recognized the name on the bottle as belonging to a strong class of Benzodiazepines, a sedative type drug that essentially knocks a person out. The dosage surprised him some, the amount normally only given to those in medical care or asylums. Why would the doctor prescribe something so strong when he hasn't possibly had enough time to even be sure what's wrong with the patient? In any case, it's obvious that Ichigo's trying to escape his dreams. How unfortunate.

Under the influence of the medication, reaching out to Ichigo would undoubtedly prove difficult. He was powerful enough to do it, make no mistake, but it might cause unwanted side effects to the human's conscious state. No, if he planned on keeping this human intact, sanity and all, he had to remain cautious, meaning he couldn't tamper with his subconscious tonight.

He growled into the silent room, Ichigo now in a deep slumber. He'd make the bold psychiatrist regret interfering with his hunt. The little card next to the bottled prescription provided him with all the necessary information to ensure it wouldn't happen again. Pocketing the obnoxious little pill bottle, he took one last look at his unresponsive human and dissolved back into the shadows, _'My dear Ichigo. Soon you will learn that resistance is futile.'_

_*Refers to the first dream in Chapter 1 and Ichigo waking up sitting next to a gorgeous 'sleeping' stranger (later learned to be named Shiro), of whom he is itching to touch._


	7. Chapter 7

***Lots of development here and character death. Bleach belongs to Kubo. Thank Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo for this update and the last…I needed a reminder to move this story along.

_Snow White Queen (7)_

_Tokyo-15 Years Ago_

The strawberry blonde woman looked up at him, the unending trail of tears streaming from her eyes causing ebony mascara to smear down her face. _'Repulsive.'_

Perhaps he had been wrong to think that he could trick himself with her momentarily in the throes of passion, this woman currently resembled nothing of his precious Masaki. No matter, he would still follow through, if nothing else at least these two tortured souls would provide a good meal.

"H-how could he do this?" She hiccupped, before her face went from sad to angry, "How could Gin do this to me?" She tossed the blank pictures onto the cheap motel desk, and then buried her face against his chest. Well, at least to him the pictures were blank, but he knew her eyes saw something else entirely. The images she saw against blank white prints were the illusions he provided, the love of her life laying with countless other women. Playing his part flawlessly, he pets her hair while cooing false promises into her ear.

_New York- Present_

Glancing at his form in the mirrored closet door, he moved alabaster hands to straighten the silver tie lying against the pristine black dress shirt. If things get messy, blood won't show on black. He hooked a black leather belt around equally black pants, which fell to black leather shoes.

Having another twenty minutes before he needed to leave for his appointment, he let his eyes trail across the reflection of the empty room. Perhaps Ichigo would feel more comfortable if he tried to appear more 'human' in his...home. Aside from the assortment of clothes in his closet to blend in with the outside world, he didn't actually own any worldly possessions. He didn't need to sleep so he didn't have a bed, didn't need human food so he didn't have anything in the cabinets or cupboards, he didn't require human forms of entertainment as he was content skimming the minds of the weak as they passed under his gaze through the window, thus his place was empty. Guess that was something he could work on after he dealt with this little problem. Pulling the appointment card out of his pocket, he double checked the address to the office of one, Gin Ichimaru.

= = _Page Break _= =

Holding the small, framed picture, Gin gently drew his fingers over the surface, brushing over the face of the love of his life. He knew she'd be disappointed with his planned course of action, but his reasoning was more than just revenge. With the amount of demonic aura clinging to the boy, it's only a matter of time before his life meets its end anyway. The only thing he can do given his mortal 'condition' is to at least set the boy's soul free before that bastard claims all of it.

The receptionist buzzed in over the intercom, alerting him of his next patient, and he reluctantly slid the frame back into his desk drawer. Letting his fox faced mask slide into place he tapped the front desk's intercom button on the phone, "Thanks, send him in."

He stood as the door opened, a curious looking man stepping over the threshold. Recalling what was written on the clipboard, he was a twenty something stockbroker with anger management problems. Honestly, he'd envisioned a stout, angry looking man with something to compensate for, not a tall, well built, smiling, silver haired, golden-eyed model type. Really, the only thing the man seemed to be lacking was color, and he doubted the albino was compensating for that based on the suffocating, self-confident aura spilling from him.

"Greetings Doc!" Now he knows to never judge a book by its cover but, _'this man has anger issues?'_

"Hello there Mr. Tensa." He kept his features trained, extending a hand over his desk in greeting.

"Ah, none of that. Please, call me Shiro." The man crossed the small office and held a friendly demeanor while accepting the handshake, but as soon as their skin touched, Gin felt a jolt run through him and the shields he's held up for years rattled to the point of almost breaking.

'_Demon?'_ His squinted eyes opened fractionally in surprise, but the other seemed none the wiser to his internal battle, casually releasing his hand and giving him a quizzical look for lack of response.

"Of course, Shiro. Please have a seat." He contemplated the alternative possibility that perhaps Shiro is just more susceptible to the supernatural, a more 'sensitive' human. Still it's been awhile since anyone's had that effect on him, and the last man had been a very well-trained monk. He highly doubted Shirosaki Tensa was a monk.

The effect of the touch receded quickly once their skin lost contact, so he wasn't too concerned at the moment. Deciding to pursue the idea later, he decided to re-focus on work. Getting down to business, he picked up the clipboard and reclined in his chair, reading the key component out loud, "Shirosaki Tensa, visiting for 'anger management.'"

The albino patient smirked, "Among other things."

He raised eyebrows at that but decided to focus on one thing at a time. "Why do you believe ya need help with anger management?"

The smirk never faulted, unnerving the doctor slightly, "When someone crosses me, or interferes in my business, I get this uncontrollable urge to do…bad things."

Gin let his masked smile fall slightly, "What do you mean by bad things?"

Gold eyes glinted in the lighting as the patient cocked his head to the side, "Violent things. I feel the need to protect my interests through permanently damaging or getting rid of the instigator."

Well the background check didn't show a record, but that didn't mean much if you were rich, or just really good at making things disappear, "Have you ever acted on these urges?"

The answer was instantaneous, tone certain, "Yes."

Normally, he'd press for more information like 'what did you do?' but something about the way this man answered his question had him on edge…He held no trace of remorse, or guilt. So why was he seeking help?

He decided to come back to the 'what' later and instead focus on the 'why,' "I imagine that the work related stress for a stockbroker can be rather high. How do you normally feel at work?"

The way the doctor shifted and the abrupt change of topic told Shiro that he'd made the man uncomfortable, but he could hardly sense that discomfort. He had a suspicion when he shook the man's hand that the human wasn't normal. Perhaps Gin Ichimaru was more in-tune with the supernatural than he'd originally thought. It wasn't uncommon to come across a human whose mind was instinctively strong enough to block out demonic inquisition, but to be able to shield their aura, or what they were feeling, suggests a higher level of awareness and quite possibly training. Interesting.

He could understand the doctor's assumption, and for most people in his current line of 'human' work it would be accurate, but he wasn't most people, "Ah, work's not what gets me goin' doc, it's not personal enough. I can tell ya why, if that's what yer lookin' for."

Gin couldn't help but feel that _he_ was the one being analyzed. Normally that wouldn't bother him, certain patients occasionally would try to gauge his capabilities as a psychiatrist, but this was different. It was almost like this man was trying to toy with him, "Alright then. Why do you get these urges?"

Shiro leaned forward, bending up his left elbow on the armrest and resting the side of his chin on white knuckles, "Currently 'cause I'm havin' relationship problems. My…significant other is trying to avoid me, and he's getting help." Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed the stolen pill bottle, tossing it across the table to the doctor, whose mask dropped more with the widening of his eyes. "Perhaps you could help enlighten me as to why a doctor, would prescribe such a powerful drug, in a borderline illegal dosage, to a patient he's only seen for an hour max?"

He was right to believe that Shirosaki Tensa wasn't here for what he'd claimed, but Ichigo said that he hadn't been with anyone since coming to America, and he was certain the orange headed male hadn't lied about that. Meaning this 'man' could only be one of two things.

Carefully schooling his face back into the mask he was now accustomed to wearing, he probed for an identity, "Did Aizen send you?"

The question threw Shirosaki, and the pale demon let his eyes widen to show his surprise. How did this man know Ichigo's hated uncle? He knew Ichigo never spoke of him, the only reason he knew of the relationship was from his traveling through Ichigo's mind. His smirk dropped, "No, but now I am curious as to your relationship with the man."

Gin went rigid, if Aizen didn't send this man, then he was dealing with the one that had been stalking Ichigo, the one that had been haunting the boy's dreams. The man sitting so casually in front of him was a demon powerful enough to hide his aura, which wasn't easy to do given his level of training.

Keeping an eye on the being in front of him, he reached into the top, center drawer of his desk, fingers ghosting over the paper incantation inside. The smirk re-appeared and Gin wondered if it was a mask, like his own, or if the demon was actually drawing enjoyment out of trying to make him squirm.

"That little paper's not gonna help you."

Shiro seemed unaffected by the unspoken threat in his desk. He hadn't activated the spell yet, so how did the demon know what he was doing. He was certain that the shield protecting his thoughts was firmly in place. "Pretty bold, considering you don't know what yer up against."

The demon was motionless, reminding Gin of a marble statue, "If you make me use my power, I think you'll find my boldness appropriate. However, I prefer you just satisfy my curiosity."

Best case scenario would be to try and avoid fighting the demon, at least until he knows what he's dealing with. Placating him with a little history, albeit painful, shouldn't be too hard. Sighing in resignation, he pulled out the picture hidden within the drawer and placed it on the desk, visible to the other.

Shiro leaned forward to get a better look at the smiling strawberry blonde within the frame before nodding and reclining once more, "Pretty."

What was left of Gin's smirk fell into a sad smile, "She was."

_Tokyo- 15 Years Ago_

The distraught silver haired male wandered the streets of downtown Tokyo, searching for his lover. He didn't know where the blasted visions of her with another man were coming from, but they were burned into his mind, driving him insane.

Just like he couldn't explain the visions, he wasn't sure how he knew that she was close. Somewhere in this part of town, in one of the buildings on this street, his fiancée was giving herself to another.

Suddenly, just like all the others, a vision of a motel flashed across his mind and he knew that's where he'd find her. Blindly sprinting forward, he narrowly missed the honking taxi, the curses of the driver loud, but unheard as he entered the shoddy building on the other side of the street.

Standing in front of room 106 his senses were screaming, and without thinking, he threw himself at the door, shattering pieces off the flimsy wooden frame as it caved. He wasn't sure what was happening, the figures in the bed undisturbed by his reckless intrusion, the back of the male still flexing, the undeniable outline of hips thrusting below the sheet, a smooth male voice moaning with release, "Masaki."

Had he been wrong? Just as relief began sweeping through him, a broken, but all too familiar voice shattered his heart, "Who's Masaki?"

A smaller hand came up and pushed the man, the tear stained face of his Rangiku revealed as the man allowed himself to fall back.

There was so much, so much pain and anger, so much confusion and sorrow, he wanted to say so much, but when he opened his mouth all that came out was, "Ran?"

And just like that, something between them shattered. A physical force he could feel but couldn't see was no longer there, and then she saw him. Her eyes widened as if he appeared out of thin air, and maybe he did, he honestly didn't know anymore.

Her voice came out shaky, unsure, and tortured, "Gin?"

He rasped out the only word that would come, _"Why?"_

All of a sudden, her saddened features turned angry and she yelled back, "Why?" Jerking the remainder of the sheet back she climbed from the bed and marched to the desk not two feet from him, pointing accusingly at the blank prints littering the top, "That's Why!"

He shook his head in confusion, betrayal and hurt evident in his voice, "What am I supposed to be seeing?"

Stinging pain blossomed in his cheek where her hand had connected, but he didn't really register the hit as he looked down at her sky blue, watery eyes. She held up one of the prints and threw his earlier question back at him, _"Why?"_

He blinked, eyes re-opening and widening in disbelief. He could see it now, what she saw. He looked down to the desk and it was all the same…different pictures, different women, but all showing him to be unfaithful. What the hell?

The forgotten man on the bed started chuckling, the low even sound increasing to a haunting laugh. They both turn to him, surprise, shock and anger evident on their faces, the expressions melting into one of fear as his once brown eyes began to glow black and they are unable to look away. He tried to reach for Ran, but couldn't move, his frozen in place body growing weaker each passing second until his consciousness yielded to black.

_New York- Present_

He let himself go quiet, trying to regain his composure, "He was gone when we woke up, and the illusions on the prints were lifted, showing the whole thing to be a lie. He'd broken Ran down until she believed the worst, then hurt me by taking her. When the anger and confusion between us reached its peak, he fed. That monster sat there laughing at our suffering and feeding off our pain."

It got quiet again, but Shiro waited patiently for the man to continue, still not certain what this had to do with his question…unless, "The demon was Aizen…"

Gin nodded, unsure if he'd be able to finish, but having already come this far he sure as hell was going to try, "We tried to forget, tried to go back to 'normal,'" he put air quotes around the word normal, "but the guilt was too much for Ran. She blamed herself for being weak and not having faith in me. She was haunted by his touch and would wake up screaming and crying in the night. After…Later, I found her diary, I'm not even sure when she started keeping one, but it was too late."

"She committed suicide?"

The haunted doctor leaned back and closed his eyes, giving a barely perceptible nod.

"I'm sorry." And he meant it. Wasting away to despair is a horrible way to go.

The human looked to him, strange blood colored eyes contemplative, "Then let the boy go."

Shiro nearly snorted, that's not happening. "Why are you so interested in Ichigo? What's your angle?"

"When Ran died, I left my entire way of life, everything I knew, so I could learn more about what happened. I wanted to understand, but more importantly, I wanted revenge. Researching what I could on my own, I found and joined a group that understood and had methods of defense against demons." He paused, unsure whether to continue.

Shiro knew he was just being cautious with the group's identity, an unnecessary precaution when dealing with a demon of his age and stature, "The soul reapers."

"My, aren't you just full of surprises. Through the duration of my training I began researching anything I could about the life of Souske Aizen. The only thing he seems attached to is his 'nephew,' Ichigo Kurosaki, son of Masaki Kurosaki. But ever since he let the boy move here, I began questioning that level of attachment."

Shiro was beginning to get impatient, the human seemed reluctant to answer questions regarding his involvement with Ichigo, "It's no coincidence that you're both here. You followed Ichigo. What are you planning?"

The doctor slipped back into the creepy fox faced mask he seemed so accustomed to wearing, "I wanted to be sure that Aizen really didn't care about the boy before I gave up on that route, but when he found me, demonic energy clinging to him like a second skin, I knew that if I didn't react quickly that I'd lose my chance, and the boy his soul."

He didn't like where this was going. The appointment card he took from Ichigo's desk had his next appointment listed as Saturday. Looks like he might be getting messy today after all, "And how exactly do you plan to react?"

Gin shivered as the room suddenly got colder, the once impassive face of the demon growing darker. He slipped his hand back into the desk, fingers tracing the symbol on the charm once more. "I don't think I want to answer that just yet."

A crazed, maniacal smile split across pale features, the demon's golden eyes now glowing, "Your mistake."

Gin could feel it, almost as if a great barrier had dissolved from the white skin, unleashing a dark, ancient power he had merely gotten a taste of when they shook hands. He quickly pulled out the small parchment he had been tracing, beginning his incantation only to yelp when a white fire bit at his hands, the paper quickly consumed by the flame.

The demon spoke again, his voice carrying an echo like tone throughout the room, "I told you that wouldn't help." Like an explosion, that dark power blast through the room, shattering every one of Gin's metaphysical shields. Now defenseless, he tried desperately to reach within himself to find any power he could to fight back, or at least build a mental barrier, but with the demon's magic seeping into his being, his body was in shock, unable to respond accordingly.

Shiro watched as the human caved to his power. Normally, he avoided releasing this much power on a mortal because some never recovered. He'd warned this man, only holding back because the good doctor was cooperating. Now he would strip him of every defense and infiltrate his mind by force. If his conscious couldn't handle it, the man would be insane by the time Shiro was finished.

Mind open for the taking, Shiro began skimming the mortal's thoughts, all the recent ones conveniently floating at the surface. The story he'd just been told was the first memory crossed, he matched Aizen's face to the one in Ichigo's memory. Next was the man's time with the soul reapers, some of those faces also familiar figments of his own past. Finally, he came across orange hair and amber eyes, their meeting, their discussion, and…their next appointment. In an effort to 'save' the boy's soul, Gin never planned on letting Ichigo awaken after their Saturday session.

That was all he needed. Crossing the room, he released the mortal's mind just as his hand pierced the human's chest, "Sorry, but I have no intention of relinquishing my hold on Ichigo."

Withdrawing his bloody hand, a thought occurred to him. Gin said Aizen had an attachment to Ichigo. That could prove to be a problem in the future. Aizen Souske was a cover for a demon. He needed to know which one.

Shiro knelt down and locked eyes with the dying man, "The demon who wronged you, give me his name."

He winced and coughed, choking up blood, "Chaos de Illusios."

Eyes glowing a supernatural gold, he stated assuredly, "Vengeance will be taken for those wronged by the Demon of Illusions."

A sense of peace seemed to overcome the dying human with the proclamation. He found himself liking Gin and thought it was a shame he had to die, but he couldn't risk the man trying to finish the job. After all, Ichigo was his top priority.

"Go now and be at peace. Your woman is waiting for you." And with that the human smiled what must have been his first sincere smile in fifteen years, releasing himself into the grasp of death.

***Chaos de Illusios is a rough translation of Chaos of Deceit, or Chaos of Illusions (Latin). Like Shiro's shortened Demon name is Algol, I plan on making Aizen's Chaos. Not that I will be using either very often.

**Sniff...I love you Gin, RIP. Okay, plot development is good for a bit. Now I can get back to the good stuff lol…Smut is on the horizon.


	8. Chapter 8

***Recently on Snow White Queen (I've been told my updates take too long and people forget what's going on): Believing Shiro's words that he will only take him willing, Ichigo takes the 'sleep aid' prescribed to him by Ichimaru Gin. After he's out, Shiro examines the bottle and becomes curious about the borderline dangerous dosage of the drug, not to mention becoming livid that he can't 'play' with his human while he's so heavily sedated. So, the next morning he pays a visit to the bold psychiatrist, posing as a patient until he reveals his connection to Ichigo.

Recognizing Shirosaki as a powerful demon, Gin tells him of Ichigo's connection to another demon, Aizen, who wronged him and led to the death of his fiancée, Rangiku. When Gin refuses to reveal his plans with Ichigo, Shiro forces his way into the man's mind and finds out the psychiatrist planned to kill the boy both for revenge and to set his soul free so the demon couldn't claim it. With no intention of releasing Ichigo, Shirosaki learns the true name of Aizen, Chaos de Illusios, and kills Gin so he can't pose a threat to Ichigo.

This Chapter (8), picks up after the appointment, Shiro coming directly to Ichigo right after he wakes up from his drug induced sleep.

**Bleach belongs to Kubo. The Lyrics are from Enigma's Sadeness pt. 1 . The song is in Latin and French, but I have put the English translation in the beginning so you have a feel for the actual lyrics later in the chapter. For those interested, a little historical fact portion at the end revealing the real identity of 'Sade.' But for my story, it's quite obvious who 'Sade' represents. Also, it's important to note that as of now, Ichigo only feels lust for, and fear of, Shiro (and obviously confusion when it comes to the supernatural). Thankfully in the dream state we are all a bit more compliant with our desires.

*To avoid confusion: A pulpit is the stand (or what is commonly called podium) from which a priest delivers a sermon. The podium is actually the elevated flooring on which the pulpit and speaker stand.

"_Let us go forth in peace_

_In the name of Christ, So be it._

_We shall find the faithful in the company_

_Of angels and children._

_Lift up ye heads o ye glorious gates,_

_And be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors,_

_And the King of Glory shall come in._

_Who is the King of Glory?_

_Sade, tell me..._

_Sade, give me..._

_Shall we proceed in peace_

_In the name of Christ, Amen._

_Sade, tell me what it is_

_That you seek…_

_The rightness of wrong?_

_The virtue of vice?_

_Sade, tell me why the_

_Gospel of Evil?_

_What is your religion?_

_Where are your faithful?_

_If you are against God,_

_You are against man._

_Sade, tell me why the blood for pleasure?_

_Pleasure without love?_

_Is there no emotion in the cult of man?_

_Sade, are you diabolical_

_Or divine?_

_Sade, tell me…_

_Sade, give me…_

_Sade, tell me…_

_Sade, give me…_

_In the name of Christ, Amen."_

_Snow White Queen (8) _

Heavy, sleep encrusted eyelids parted open slightly, squinting around chocolate colored irises as they were assaulted by light. Apparently he'd forgotten to close the blinds last night, the sun now filtering in ungraciously. _'Wait…the sun?'_

He propped himself up on one elbow, rubbing the gunk from his eyes with his other hand, trying to remember the last time he slept long enough to wake up after sunrise. Those drugs really took him out; he'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be so well rested. All clothes still in place, he came to the conclusion that the demon stayed true to his word and hadn't raped him in his sleep. Did this mean that he'd found a way to evade him? The demon, ghoul, incubus…whatever, couldn't get to him under the influence of-

His thoughts were cut short when he looked to the bedside table where the wonderful little pill bottle _should_ have been, only to find the sleep aid missing. He was certain that he'd set it there though. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he sat up and looked on the floor around the nightstand before rummaging through it's drawers…nothing.

"Looking for something, Ichigo?" The dark echo-like whisper ghosted throughout the room, causing him to shiver, "Y-you're back?"

The familiar white form, clad entirely in black business attire this time, materialized in a kneeling position at his knees, causing him to pull his legs up and shuffle backward on the bed.

"Of course. Surely you didn't think I'd just disappear because you evaded me for one night?" The ghouls golden eyes glinted in their black cage as he crawled onto the bed in pursuit.

Realization dawned on him with the demon's words and wicked grin, "You took them, didn't you?" His fear was slowly being displaced by anger, "Can't you see that you are driving me mad? I need sleep!"

His assailant paused, the smirk falling into a light frown, eyes hardening in what looked like determination, "When you finally surrender to me, to what we both want, you will sleep better than you ever have, of that I promise."

As he processed the demon's words, said creature leaned forward and ghosted a kiss across his forehead before disappearing again. If the look hadn't left him with the feeling of hopelessness, those words certainly did. Shiro wasn't going anywhere on his own. So how in the hell was he supposed to get rid of a demon?

_==Page Break==_

Having missed his first few classes, Ichigo tried to lessen the damage by at least making it to the rest. He'd slept in so late, not that he'd complain. Unfortunately, his concentration couldn't be taken away from the visit of this morning's unwelcomed guest. Not getting anything accomplished, he decided to leave early and go somewhere he never thought he would. Taking a deep breath he stared at the large doors sitting silent and closed beneath a sky reaching steeple.

He didn't know why he decided to come to a church of all places, especially since he had never been a believer until recently…If demons and the devil, then Angels and God too, right? He wasn't sure what he expected to get from his visit, some sort of confirmation perhaps? He still felt a little foolish asking someone he couldn't see for any kind of help, especially since the only time he put effort into learning about the supreme beings was after he's already in trouble. Seemed a little selfish, didn't it?

Though upon steeling his resolve and pushing through one of the heavy doors, he supposed not bursting into flames meant he was off to a good start. Quietly shutting the door behind him, he took slow, tentative steps forward, passed the blessed holy water in the center of the entryway and into the main building. The sun had gone down, but the twilight sky provided enough light through the beautifully sculpted stained glass for him to see where he was going.

Sliding into a pew near the back, he watched on from the slowly increasing shadows, the unmoving figure mounted on the hanging cross. He spared a brief glance below taking note of the pulpit and rows of candles, placed on delicate stands and atop shelf like pedestals. The set up was pretty, but the cross seemed to demand more attention. Just because he wasn't religious didn't mean he was ignorant to the representation; Jesus Christ, son of God, and savior, self-sacrifice to atone for the sin of man. Studying the depiction in a new light, he couldn't help but wonder how much of the story was true. Despite the reality of supreme beings, the bible is still a work translated, and probably embellished, by man.

A door opened somewhere to the left of the podium, silencing his thoughts. He went unnoticed in the shadowed pew as the collared priest began lighting various candles. A warm glow filled the dark church and the man knelt before the cross, a soft chanting falling from his lips.

"_Procedamus in pace _

_In nomine Christi, Amen…"_

He could hear the man well enough in the otherwise silent church, but the language was foreign to him, Latin maybe? The smooth voice and the words of what seemed to be a prayer, rolling off the priest's tongue fluidly, had him relaxing into the pew he still silently occupied. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes and let the calming sound roll over him, slipping into darkness.

"…_Cum angelis et pueris, _

_fideles inveniamur…" _

Casually stepping into the church, amber eyes glance from the back of the chanting priest on the podium, to the lulling head of orange, his reluctant human succumbing to slumber in one of the uncomfortable pews. Did Ichigo think he'd be safe from him in a church? A simple building, no matter the beauty, was still constructed by the hand of mortals, most of which hold no power whatsoever. He smirked, the boy still had so much to learn.

"…_Attollite portas, principes, vestras _

_et elevamini, portae aeternales _

_et introibit rex gloriae _

_Qius est iste Rex glorie?"_

He quietly slips into the occupied pew, laying the orange head of hair in his lap. Probing at the boy's subconscious he smirks, the chanting priest is completely unaware that one of his flock is currently falling victim to a demon. Unfortunately, he couldn't really start molesting the boy in public where any could bear witness, but he could feed if Ichigo surrenders in the dream he's constructing. If he succeeds, he could carry the human elsewhere for more…_physical gratification_.

"…_Procedamus in pace _

_In nomine Christi, Amen…"_

The white cloth of the hooded cloak billowed around his lithe form in the chilled wind, his equally white clad body trembling lightly from the cold, gooseflesh rising on tanned skin. He wasn't sure how he knew his attire when it couldn't be seen, but the thought was fleeting and not dwelled upon. The night was starless and unbelievably dark, despite the large crescent moon hanging low in the sky. The ground he walked on sunk slightly under every step, the composition he assumed to be sand. He was guided through the dark by the warm light of what he now saw to be torches lining an extravagant staircase, pure white sand meeting it's base.

Standing at the bottom of the black marble stairs, he turned expressive brown eyes up to the impressive building that stood before him. He couldn't see it before, but with his closer proximity and help of the many torches, the outlines became clearer the longer he looked on. With the grotesque type carving he was able to catch glimpses of in the flickering light, it resembled something of an old gothic church, but was built more like a renaissance castle, the intimidating towers on each of the front corners rising far above the height of the roof. The dark, carved stone led down from the steep arched rooftop, to the black marble floors. The stairs awaited his ascent to the columned archway, outlining massive, ten foot double doors.

Ignoring the small nagging voice that told him further investigation was a bad idea, he started up the stairs, the curiosity of whether the inside was just as impressive spurring him forward. However, upon reaching the doors he stopped short, unsure of how to proceed. _'Should I knock?'_

Before he could fully process the ridiculous idea of knocking on the door of a place that was beyond huge and hope to be heard, the doors creaked open, the groaning of the wood on the hinges revealing their heavy weight and seeming lack of use. _'Guess that means I'm allowed in...'_

He was confused to find no one on the other side, briefly wondering how doors this ancient could be automatic, but all thought was lost when he caught site of his surroundings. The dark stone and black marble continued on inside the long arched hall with rows of enormous stained glass windows leading all the way to the end. Again he called similarities to the church architecture, but this hall was missing a transect, the portion meant to liken the building to a cross. No, this grand hall led straight back to what would be the apse, a large throne like chair sitting on a raised black marble platform there. Two hallways branched diagonally away from the apse in opposite directions, leading into what must be a larger part of the building.

He walked slowly down the hall, letting his eyes soak up the details with the help of the strange blue-green light filtering through the glass. Reaching the platform, tan hands withdrew the hood of the cloak, letting his unruly orange hair spring free. About to move closer so he could study the intricate carvings on the arms of the cushion covered stone chair, he felt a slight pull from his left. It wasn't physical in nature, more like a psychic calling, but it had him moving swiftly through the now windowless, torch-lit hall.

"_Sade dit moi…"_

"_-igo…Ichigo…"_ The voice had started off faint and inaudible, but as he continued on it gained an echo-like clarity. He knew the voice, had heard it before calling in much the same way and knew he should be scared…But he wasn't. How many times had he fled that voice and all the sinful pleasure it promised? Sure, when he listened to the fear driven voice in his head he came out unscathed, but he also came out unsatisfied and left wanting.

"…_Sade donne moi…"_

For all the fear he held for the creature he knew to be waiting at the end of his journey, he also held desire. It had touched him so often in all the places that had left him wanting more, but he had been too afraid then to allow himself further pleasure at the hands of the demon. He could no longer deny what his body so desperately needed.

He finally came to a stop at yet another large, intricately carved door, depicting a battle amongst winged men…_ 'Angels?'_ Lovely as the door was, when he pushed and it didn't budge, it became nothing more than a frustrating obstacle. He needed to be on the other side.

Leaning his forehead against the door he attempted to reach the demon, perhaps his voice would carry over as well, "Shirosaki…" He wasn't quite sure if he should use the name given to him by the human version, Shirosaki, or the demon version, Algol, but apparently he'd either chosen correctly or it didn't matter because the doors opened with irritating ease as soon as the name left his lips.

He stepped passed the door only to stop and turn around when a soft chanting caught his attention from behind,_ "…Procedamus in pace in nomine Christi, Amen…" _He didn't understand the words, but the voice was alluring to him for some reason. Before he could react to it though, the doors slid shut once more, the soft chanting silenced. "_Ichigo_."

"…_Sade dit moi qu'est ce _

_Que tu vas chercher..?" _

His body jolted at the sound of his name, and he suddenly remembered what he'd been searching for. Turning around he caught sight of the one who'd been haunting him, yellow on black eyes flashing in the candlelight, crimson sheets pooling around a statuesque marble torso. Why did this gorgeous creature want him again?

"…_Le bien par le mal? _

_La vertu par le vice..?"_

The being shifted to one elbow and from the other extended a deathly pale hand, reaching out to him. The sight caused his already heightened desire to skyrocket. Somewhere in his mind, he knew the man was a sin, something that should be off limits…But the more he looked on, the less he cared about morality, and the wrongness began to look oh so right.

"…_Sade dit moi pourquoi l' 'evangile du mal? _

_Quelle est ta religion ou' sont tes fide'les..?" _

Unhooking the clasp under his chin, he moved forward as the cloak fell away, a steady gate carrying him to the edge of the bed, but hesitated, just shy of the demon's reach, "Lust like this is sin…"

"…_Si tu es contre Dieu, tu es contre l'homme..." _

He sighed as the demon's power curled around him, the warmth causing him to relax as the otherworldly being spoke, "You no longer exist for the one who defines sin. You are mine and are to be faithful only to me."

"…_Sade dit moi pourquoi le sang pour le plaisir..?" _

"It's too late for me to be saved?" Despite his question, his hand finally met the demon's.

"Your soul yearns only for me. To deny yourself such pleasure will only bring suffering. Do you see now? I am your salvation."

"_...Le plaisir sans l'amour..?"_

Allowing himself to be pulled onto the bed, his breath hitched as white hands pushed his open shirt down his arms, and pale lips brushed over his shoulder. Succumbing to the warmth, he put up one last shred of resistance, "But I don't love you…"

"…_N'y a t'il plus de sentiment dans le culte de l'homme..?" _

Shining gold on black met his eyes once more, the demon undisturbed by the revelation, "For you, I offer an eternity of pleasure the likes of which cannot be found in your world. You may not love me now, but you will."

As the demon claimed his lips, he couldn't help but wonder at the confidently spoken words, _'Is the heart so fickle as to give itself away for just pleasure?' _

"…_Sade es-tu diabolique ou divin..?" _

He gasped as a warm hand slipped beneath the loose white pants, fondling him teasingly as a slick cerulean tongue slipped passed his lips. Diabolical or divine, it didn't matter to him anymore. Fisting tan hands in snow white hair, he tilted his head and twisted his own tongue around the invader, allowing himself to be pushed back onto silk bedding. Resisting the call of this being was no longer an option.

"…_Sade dit moi…"_

His stiff member slid between strong, pale fingers, coating the digits in just enough of his own essence to slide easily along his shaft. Gasping into the mouth still locked over his own, he found himself able to breathe from the demon, though instead of the oxygen thin, polluted air he'd become accustomed to recently, the air from his host was thick, spicy, and intoxicating.

"…_Sade donne moi…"_

The more of the demon he breathed, the lighter and more sensitive his body became. It was an aphrodisiac that he just couldn't get enough of. While one hand skillfully kept him on the border of release, the other explored the sculpted plains of his torso, a tingling heat trailing in their wake.

"_Sade dit moi…"_

He made a small sound of protest as the hand pleasuring his lower body released his overly sensitive cock and moved further down, stopping to tease the tightened sac before trailing back further to toy at his entrance. His need was so strong now that the touches bordered on pain. Begging sounded like a good option at the moment, but he couldn't seem to find the will to release the mouth currently feeding him such a divine essence.

"…_Sade donne moi…"_

Finally, the demon broke the surface and pushed inside his quivering hole, instant scissoring making him aware of at least two fingers probing deep. Too pleasure drunk and needy to register any pain, he finally pulled his lips away from the oasis of power, issuing an immediate groan for _"More."_

The albino demon smirked down at him and lowered pale lips to nibble on a blush reddened ear, pulling the sheet back to free his own straining length. Sharp teeth teasingly pulled at his earlobe as the strong white body settled between his legs, inhumanly powerful arms lifting each of his long legs into the crook of each ashen elbow, his hips rising and his sensitive opening meeting the blunt head of the demon's cock.

"…_In nomine Christi, Amen."_

Shirosaki moaned into the human's captive ear as his cock's tip penetrated the outer muscle, pausing the thrust as the ring squeezed tighter. He released the earlobe, _"Relax, love. Allow me to show you true bliss."_ Receiving a sweet moan and loosening muscles, he pushed onward, this time not stopping until he was fully sheathed inside the human's tight heat. Finally, Ichigo was his.

Pulling out just a bit, he readjusted the angle of his hips and pushed forward again. The shallow thrusting and re-angling continued a few more times until Ichigo's heavy breathing turned into-"F-fu-ah-ck." He smirked, 'Found yah.' Pulling nearly all the way out this time, he thrust back in hard and fast, right into that same spot.

The body beneath him shuddered and jerked in response, "Ah! Fucking Hell…Shiro!"

Bending the body in his grasp nearly in half, he leant down to the blush red ear and whispered, "_Yes, scream for me," _before starting a brutal pace, in and out, every time hitting that spot that had Ichigo's body quaking and his vocal chords straining. The boy doesn't even look like he knows which way is up anymore, throwing his head side to side on the pillows while his virgin body attempts to make sense of the crippling pleasure.

Sadistic creature he was, he couldn't help but to lean further down and sink inhumanly sharp canines into the junction between a tanned neck and shoulder, breaking the skin and relishing in the low pleasure filled moan that resulted. The ability to feel pleasure in pain isn't overly common among humans, even during sex. Most had to be trained to enjoy such things, but apparently that wouldn't be necessary for this one. Really, Ichigo had to have been made for him.

He pulled back to watch as pleasure crossed the features of the mortal he laid claim to, relishing the way his eyes would roll back when his sweet spot was roughly thrust into, the arching of his back upon every re-entry of his cock, the beautiful moans from kiss swollen lips, and his favorite, the little slips of his name as his lover came closer and closer to peaking, _"Shiro…"_

Pulling his arm back slightly, he gripped one of the tan calves and straightened the leg up along his own pale torso, effectively freeing one hand to help push Ichigo over the edge. Firmly gripping the poised erection bobbing between them, he matched every pump to every thrust, twisting his hand slightly at the tip while molesting the other's prostate at the same time. With what seemed to take much effort, Ichigo rose onto his elbows and tried meeting his thrusts, while watching himself being fondled. He watched in fascination as the human's face flushed in complete pleasure, while the tan body tensed, and the soft walls surrounding his thrusting length clenched down unforgivingly. "Shi-Shiro!" Ichigo's head fell back as the boy's warm white release coated his own equally pale hand, some escaping to land on the heaving chest, mixing a bit with the blood that pooled there from his earlier bite.

In all his years as a demon of lust, he'd never seen such an intoxicating, hypnotizing sight, and he made sure to take in every last detail, attempting to sear the image into his expansive memory as the tight, pulsing muscles around his heavy cock pulled him closer and closer to his own end.

Growling a sound that no human or animal known to man could make, his pale hand moved from the damp, placid member, to short orange hairs, lifting Ichigo's head back up. Brown, half lidded eyes met his own gaze briefly before he claimed his human's lips once more, moaning into the moist cavern as the quivering muscles below finally pushed him over the edge, milking him of his own release. Drawing out the last bit of lust energy the human had to offer, he allowed Ichigo to breathe in his power once more, causing the human's overly sensitized body to shudder violently in response to his harsh final thrusts.

Ichigo groaned into the demon's sinfully delicious mouth as he felt Shiro's hot release fill him, the continued thrusting pushing some of the liquid deeper and causing some to escape, each sensation made all the more intense by whatever drug the demon was currently feeding him.

When the thrusts slowed to an eventually stop, Shiro released his lips to trail light kisses down his neck, coming to rest at the bite wound he'd inflicted earlier. Ichigo let his head roll to the side as the demon licked the wound softly and gasped as he felt the now flaccid cock pull out. He winced at the strange wet feeling of cum leaking slowly from his sensitive hole, but wasn't allowed to dwell on it as Shirosaki shifted onto his back, pulling his spent body along for the ride. The demon guiding his head onto a pale, muscled shoulder, and his eyes drew across their surroundings once more.

He was more relaxed and content than he could ever remember being since before his parents died. Despite his drooping eyelids and fatigued body, he couldn't help his returning curiosity, "Where are we?"

The white demon gripped his lover a bit tighter. He knew that if Ichigo was 'conscious' enough to contemplate his location, their time here was coming to an end. "What you see before you now is my home," he thought for a second deciding it best leave off that home was located on the border of hell and limbo, "but currently your physical body is in my embrace, heading back to your apartment."

Brown eyes looked up to him in confusion, "Physical body? Apartment…?"

He sighed, brushing orange bangs away from his searching of dark brown eyes, "Yes, and hopefully you will be just as receptive to my affection when you awaken."

Darkness consumed the human's subconscious once more and Ichigo's body shifted slightly in the demon's arms. Pausing his ascent up the stairs of their apartment building, Shiro looked down at the sleeping mortal and tightened his grip possessively, lips curling into a haunting smile as Ichigo didn't automatically jerk awake from the dream in fear. Finally, he was getting somewhere with his stubborn human.

"_...Soon I know you'll see_

_You're just like me,_

_Don't scream anymore my love_

_Cause all I want is you!.."_

***Donatien Alphonse François de, AKA the _Marquis de Sade _(1740-1814). A French soldier and writer (of novels, plays and short stories), whose exposition of sexual perversion gave rise to the term 'sadism.' –_Collins English Dictionary _(Perhaps when my life stabilizes and I catch up in fanfiction, I will portray Dark Ichigo as the _Marquis de Sade_.)


	9. Chapter 9

**Bleach belongs to Kubo.

_Snow White Queen (9)_

He barely suppressed a growl after reading the latest headline to make its way across New York; 'Psychiatrist found brutally slain in office.' Tousen had sent him the news link that morning, also adding a personal message that he would find out how Ichimaru Gin had managed to slip into the same city as Ichigo undetected. Since the threat was now dead, the only thing he had left to worry about is any weaknesses in the security and Intel regarding his beloved 'nephew.'

He paid his forces quite well to keep an eye on Ichigo from the shadows, but apparently someone was getting lazy. He had let the vagueness of the recent reports slide, honestly not caring what the boy did as long as his soul remained pure and intact. However that won't matter if Ichigo dies before he can claim the boy's soul. He already lost Masaki, he would not lose the only remaining piece of her.

The dull monotone voice of his personal servant breaks his train of thought, "Sir, the board meeting starts in fifteen minutes."

Nodding, he closes the laptop and glances out the window over snow covered building tops, "Ulquiorra, Ichigo's finals should be over in a couple weeks. Bring my nephew home for his winter vacation."

"Yes, Aizen-sama."

_= = Page Break = =_

Lifting the flimsy strip of crime scene tape, a tall dark man entered the lobby of the now vacant two room office suite. Since the police had finished their investigation here, he had little worry of being interrupted while he searched. Any of Gin's notes and patient files would of course be missing, the police still looking for leads, but the evidence he was searching for is unlikely to be physical in nature anyway.

Doing a quick scan of the sitting area and receptionist desk showed nothing out of the ordinary, but that didn't surprise him in the least. Gin would have spent most of his time in the only other room in the suite, his office. Setting his lock picking kit on the reception desk he moved to the small hallway on his left, passing the restroom before coming to the last and only office door, an eye level name plaque reading, 'Gin Ichimaru, M.D.'

Fingers reaching the doorknob, a weak jolt of energy sent a shock through his hand as he touched the metal, but wasn't enough to phase him. Pressing forward, he pushed the door open and froze upon his first step into the room. The aura of a strong Shinigami had permeated from the furniture and walls, telling him exactly how Gin Ichimaru had slipped by them, but it was the other presence that had him reeling. '_Demon.'_ A very powerful one judging by the amount of charged energy still clinging to the stagnant air. Finally putting one foot in front of the other, he began to move around the small space, searching for any other sign of the demon, but coming up blank. The only smells were of blood and death, both belonging to the late Shinigami. The small amount of light filtering in from the office window showed the blood to be localized on the leather office chair and surrounding floor, meaning the Shinigami didn't even get the chance to fight back.

Finishing his scan of the office, he made sure to leave everything in place and locked the door after exiting the suite. This new information would require him to dig deeper. Aizen will definitely want to know the identity of the upper level demon in the same territory as his charge. He would need to examine Gin's body, and look over the patient files. He gave a brief thought to the receptionist. At first he believed her amnesia a hoax, thinking she only feared the killer, but now he knows the diagnosis to most likely be completely true. The demon wiped her mind, meaning she would be useless in tracking it.

Tapping the first name on the contacts list of his phone, he waited a few rings before the other line was picked up, "Tousen."

"Boss, there's been a new development…"

_= = Page Break = =_

Surrounded by thick, comfortable warmth and relaxing darkness, he lingered in the gray space between sleep and wakefulness, desperately trying to hold onto his deep slumber. Conscious thoughts had just barely begun flitting through his hazy mind; how much longer could he sleep, did he have school today, and when did he get such a comfortable body pillow?

Running his hand along the surface of his pillow, sleep filled confusion began to take root as the contours of what should be a squishy, pliant surface, were instead rather hard and smooth. It wasn't until said pillow moved and spoke that alarmed recognition pulled him into shocked consciousness.

The demon was pulled from his own light sleep as his human began to rouse. Small movements increasing slightly until a warm hand was running along his torso, lowering dangerously close to his stirring arousal, "Yah know, I can't be held responsible for my actions if you keep that up."

Ichigo's reaction was immediate, springing as upright as he could get with legs still tangled in the demon's, leading to a comedic stumble as his body didn't quite give in to the awkward twist that sitting up required in their position. A rather indignant squawk left the struggling orange head as he hurriedly untangled his legs and pushed himself toward the wall and away from the bed's other occupant.

Unable to ignore the hilarity that was his lover's ungraceful wake up, Shirosaki couldn't hold back the laugh he'd tried so hard to keep in, watching amusedly as a frazzled Ichigo tried to piece everything together.

Confused and irritated, he glared at the cackling bane of his existence, chucking a pillow at the white form in a sad attempt at retaliation, "Shut up! What the hell are you doing in my bed?"

The laughter finally ebbed into a self satisfied smirk, "You mean aside from getting groped?"

Ichigo felt his face heat up and looked away, "I thought you were a pillow."

"And now I find myself quite envious of your pillows."

Trying to ignore the comment, he shook his head and returned to his original question, "What are you doing here? And why are you in MY bed?"

The demon tried to look hurt, but the look lost out to the overall shit-eating grin, "Our night of passion forgotten already? Looks like I'll have to work harder."

He paled at the demon's words, _'night of passion?'_

Closing his eyes, he desperately tried to recount the events of the previous night…_'The church…chanting priest…castle with big wooden doors…naked demon…"_

His head dropped into his hands, '_Oh God, what the hell had he done! Wait…castle?'_

"It was just a dream…" His voice was muffled from behind his hands but the demon didn't seem to have trouble hearing him.

"Yes, a dream, but as real as dreams come. Remember the pleasure you felt, Ichigo? If that was just a dream, imagine what I can do here."

He felt the bed dip at the demon's words and pulled his hands away from his face just as he was cornered, pale hands resting on the wall on either side of his head. He brought his arms up to push the pale demon away, but his hands froze on white forearms as his eyes locked with bright yellow irises. Like always, he got trapped by those eyes, but this time it wasn't by fear. He didn't want to contemplate why he couldn't look away this time, favoring another question instead, _'When did I stop being afraid of him?'_

Sensing the human's confusion, he decided to take advantage of his lover's indecision and press forward, pale lips pressing against soft pink ones, gold eyes gauging brown for the reaction.

If anything, his confusion only grew when he was still unable to find it in himself to push the other away. He was _kissing_ a _demon_! It was wrong and crazy and so many other things that encompass those two words. However, while some may call him naïve, he swears that he sees hope, fear, and…something else swirling in those enigmatic golden pools. Finally breaking eye contact, he allowed his eyes to close and tightened his grip on the other's arms.

The kiss was uncharacteristically soft, like the arrogant demon pinning him to the wall was _afraid_ of how he would react. For the first time, he felt that he might have an actual choice in all this. The demon feared rejection that he apparently had the power to give. The simple knowledge that he held such power over the otherworldly being seemed to have lifted a weight off his shoulders he hadn't even known was there.

The demon had hopes and fears, and for some incomprehensible reason, desired his affection. Suddenly, Shirosaki seemed a lot more 'human' to him and the gap between them didn't feel so overwhelmingly large.

Tilting his head ever so slightly, he reciprocated the small press of their lips. He definitely wasn't ready to promise eternity, but he could give him this little moment of acceptance.

***I felt guilty that I was benefiting from getting to read everyone else's hard work and not contributing my own updates. I was also threatened with starvation if I didn't update soon. So here I sit on a Saturday night, while my significant other and co. parties at the bar, updating fanfiction. What can I say; I love my food…and Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo apparently.


	10. Chapter 10

_Snow White Queen (10)_

"…Police are still looking for any leads in the slaying of Gin Ichimaru, a Manhattan psychiatrist found murdered in his office Thursday morning, and ask that anyone who might have information on the incident come forward immediately. The number to the tips hotline is…"

While the volume on the coffee house television was low, to Ichigo it could have been as loud as ten thousand bass drums, and the message had been plenty clear enough. The psychiatrist he'd seen on Wednesday for his 'sleeping problem' was found murdered the next day…Right after Shiro confiscated the sleeping medication the man prescribed.

"…ir? Sir…? SIR!" Immediately his wandering attention snapped back to the barista on the other side of the counter.

Face heating up he scratched the back of his head and tried to sound apologetic, "Sorry about that, how much?"

She didn't look amused in the least and didn't bother trying to sound sympathetic, "Four dollars and seventy nine cents."

Handing the woman a five, not bothering to correct her math when she shorted him a dime, he quietly found a vacant seat to await his morning caffeine.

It had to be a coincidence, right? While seeming to be a little on the insane side, surely Shirosaki wouldn't have killed his doctor over a few pills..? Or would he? He is a demon. Maybe killing people is common for demons, how would he know? Should he ask?

Mind abuzz with unending questions, he nearly missed the calling of his order "…arge Caramel Macchiato."

Grabbing his drink and exiting onto the busy sidewalk outside he contemplated the best way to approach his question without sounding accusatory. Wouldn't be very good to make it sound like he believed Shiro murdered someone if he really hadn't. He supposed he could just bring it up casually in conversation and just go from there, 'Hey remember those sleeping pills I was prescribed, well they found the doctor dead in his office the next day, and I was supposed to have another appointment tonight. Isn't that weird?' Yeah, that might work.

Mind made up on how to approach the subject, he pulled out his phone before coming to an abrupt stop. He didn't have a phone number for Shiro. Hell, did demons even have cell phones? Well, shit. How was he supposed to get his questions answered if he couldn't get a hold of the bastard?

Well, it was a Saturday, so maybe he could just try seeing if the demon graced his 'human' home on the weekends? It was worth a shot and better than anything else he had to go on at the moment. Turning on his heel, he headed back toward their shared apartment building. Figures that the only time the demon isn't perversely stalking him, he wants to be found.

== Page Break==

Green eyes narrowed as the orange headed male he'd been tailing all morning abruptly froze and turned around, heading back in the opposite direction. Had the boy forgotten something? It wouldn't surprise him in the least; Ichigo had always been a bit airheaded and dense in his opinion. Definitely not one fit for his Aizen-sama, but it was not his place to decide such things.

As his target approached, he leant back onto the brick building he'd stopped next to and lifted the newspaper he'd grabbed from a vendor at the airport. He doubted the need to even disguise his presence, the boy so entrenched in his own thoughts that he seemed to be blocking out everything else, but it was better to be on the safe side. He was under strict instructions to not alert Ichigo of his presence until given the order to do so.

As he caught sight of retreating orange from his peripheral, he lowered the paper and began tailing his bosses charge once more. He still wasn't certain why he had been chosen for this menial task, something so simple and thoughtless seemed to be better suited to someone like Grimmjow or one of the other useless grunts Aizen-sama employs, but he had faith that his boss implemented good reasoning in his selection. He always did.

He had only arrived in New York that morning, and it barely took him any time at all to locate his target. With the threat dead, he didn't quite understand the need of his immediate placement here, but soon after Aizen-sama had received the call from his second in command, he was given swift orders to board the private jet to New York and keep a constant vigil of Ichigo.

After walking a few more blocks he paused across the street of Ichigo's shoddy little apartment building and pulled out his phone as the boy entered. He really could not comprehend why the boy would not accept monetary aid from Aizen-sama. He was in obvious need of it if he was living in such a low class establishment.

Dialing the direct line to his boss, he only needed to wait a few rings before receiving an answer, "Ulquiorra, I trust you have had no trouble locating Ichigo."

"None, Aizen-sama. He is currently at home. I will keep you updated as his location changes."

"Actually I would like you to check his apartment, as soon as he leaves if you can manage. A local guard can follow him around. I would like you to do more extensive research. Report on anything out of the ordinary regarding my nephew."

"Of course Aizen-sama."

==Page Break==

He was lifting his fist to pound on the door a third time when the door flew open, revealing a very wet, very half naked demon. Momentarily forgetting why he was there and everything else for that matter, his eyes shamelessly followed the lucky little water droplets down toned pectorals and perfectly ripped abs, only to be halted by that bastard towel.

Shriosaki smirked as wide brown eyes raked over his body, pausing at his towel wrapped waist, "Want me to drop the towel?"

He heard words come from the demon, but what was he saying? "…What..? What! No!" Though, he doubted that he was very convincing with all the heat rushing to his face.

"Aw, nothing to be ashamed of Ichigo, all of this is yours whenever you want it." He motioned to his body and had to hold back a laugh as already pink cheeks tinted to bright red.

Knowing he probably wasn't going to get anything coherent out with Shirosaki looking like that, he turned towards his own door and was about to make a break for it when a strong pale hand wrapped around his bicep and pulled with inhuman strength. Unable to maintain his balance with the force of the pull, Ichigo tumbled through the door and into the strong, stable body on the other side, cursing his weakness as he heard the door slam shut behind him.

Shirosaki linked his arms around his captive, intent on keeping them pressed together. The stark whiteness of his own body and towel contrasted greatly with Ichigo's tight black tee and dark denim jeans, items he planned on ridding the other of quickly, "Did you really think I'd let yah run away?"

While being pressed against the demon did his voice no favors, at least he didn't stutter, "I wasn't running away." The demon chuckled, the light echo-like sound giving him goose bumps, "You can let me go now."

Shirosaki squeezed a little tighter moving his mouth to lick at a reddened ear, purposely letting some of his power slip to help the already present lust cloud his human's judgment, "I could."

Unable to push the demon away, Ichigo squirmed as a pale hand lowered to grope his butt, while the body heat from his captor began seeping through his clothes. He was getting distracted and that was something he couldn't let happen, but as his own dick began stirring within the confines of his pants to meet Shirosaki's obvious erection, he was finding it harder and harder to voice the reason for his visit.

Mind becoming hazy as strong white hands used his own butt as leverage to grind their hips together, Ichigo made one last ditch effort at a coherent thought, "Thought you only fed off the sleeping?"

White brows furrowed as dry thrusts paused their tantalizing rhythm. Clearly his human was still a little fuzzy on the details of their relationship, "Your misconception that I only see you as a meal-ticket is rather disheartening when I thought things were progressing so well."

Mind too clouded by lust to make sense of the 'big words,' Ichigo could only respond with a barely articulate "Huh?"

The albino demon huffed and jammed their hips together before raising one hand to Ichigo's chin, lifting the humans face so gold centered obsidian would connect with dark honeyed brown, "M'not feeding. I've got _other_ needs too love; needs only you can satisfy."

Now _that_, he could understand. He'd lost count of how many times in the past few weeks Shiro had been the center of his masturbatory fantasies, but he hadn't known to what extent the demon reciprocated his intimate desires. Before he could piece together a response, his vision blurred as the world seemed to tilt on its axis. Knees also going weak, he pressed his face into the junction of the bare neck and shoulder in front of him and let most of his weight sag in the demons hold. "Dizzy…"

Shirosaki had one arm firmly around the humans waist to keep him up, while the other ran through the back of orange locks, "Sorry 'bout that. I'm still getting used to how sensitive you are to my energy." Though he wasn't certain how much of the apology got through as he felt the humans' consciousness slip into darkness. "Damn."

Picking up his orange headed counterpart, he moved through the newly furnished apartment to the bedroom. Laying the human down, he pulled off Ichigo's black sneakers and covered him with a sheet before running a hand through wet, white locks. He'd been so excited that Ichigo had finally come to him that he accidentally let a little too much of his power slip. Now, the boy would be out for hours and he had no one to blame but himself.

He supposed that Ichigo's dreams were still fair game, but before he could even graze the surface of the boy's mind, a loud knocking filled the quiet apartment. He contemplated just waiting it out until they went away, but thought better of it when he realized the door was still unlocked. He wouldn't put it past the people here to just walk right in.

Dropping the towel, he threw on a pair of black silk sleep pants before heading to the door. The knocking had increased in frequency and he was already finding himself annoyed with the person on the other side. Pulling open the flimsy wooden door, his scowl was quickly replaced with a blank face of well concealed fury, _"Despero…"_

**Despero is Latin for despair…Guess who lol.

*Again apologies for taking my sweet ass time. Like I did with _Sail_, I'm just going to answer my reviews here because I can't remember if or who I responded to since last chapter…Awful memory and all.

-TealEyedBeing: Yes, always liking the sexy demon fun. And I think I got an E-Mail saying that you updated Music is My Soul Candy? Right, right? I really need to catch up.

-YooKay: Ah yes, Aizen. That is definitely a fun story that will make readers hate him all over again. He's good at that.

-Picabone99: Thanks! Hope I can comply more quickly next time.

-wishfulliving89: Glad you like it, thanks!

-Fireotaku18: Yes, and find out soon he will.

-Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: Not bad for typing this from your closet eh? Hope you enjoyed!

-mist shadow: Yep, I have big plans for the soul talk. It shall encompass another rather informative chapter on what happens to a soul when bound to a demon.

-SexyBleachGuys: Well, this time I was threatened with a closet…Might I suggest bribery? I like bribery better lol.

-deidrasha the fallen angel: Thanks! Sorry, I know this was probably longer than you expected.

-to lazzy to log in: lmao! Thank you-I needed that.

-ezcap1st: I like your interests then …And yes, Aizen is no pushover.

-Hichishiro85: Thanks! I'm working on it.

-jakondas: Thanks and I'm glad you are enjoying it!

That everyone? Okay, really going to work on individual responses next time…


	11. Chapter 11

**Because _someone_ hasn't updated since late February…A recap for your troubles:

Ichigo, orphaned as a child due to his parents' murder, is raised by his hated 'Uncle,'(who isn't really his Uncle) Aizen Souske. His desire to get away from his 'Uncle' drives him to do well in school and get a scholarship to study medicine in New York. It is here that his dreams start becoming terrifyingly vivid and realistic, sometimes leaving behind physical evidence in their wake. The one consistent presence in these dreams, an Incubus/Ghoul known as Shirosaki to those he likes, Algol to everyone else.

Desperate to find a solution for his 'sleeping problem,' Ichigo visits Psychiatrist Gin Ichimaru, who has his own ties to the supernatural world- Particularly, a hatred for Aizen, or Chaos, the demon of Illusions. Dosing Ichigo with enough meds to tranq a horse, he begins plans to liberate Ichigo from Aizen's hold by taking his life in their next session. On the way home from obtaining his sleeping pills, Shirosaki reveals his true self to Ichigo, and after some questions concerning his sanity, he is finally convinced of the existence of the supernatural.

Assured that Shiro would only take him willing, Ichigo takes the 'sleep aid' prescribed to him by Ichimaru Gin. After he's out, Shiro examines the bottle and becomes curious about the borderline dangerous dosage of the drug, not to mention becoming livid that he can't 'play' with his human while he's so heavily sedated. So, the next morning he pays a visit to the bold psychiatrist, posing as a patient until he reveals his connection to Ichigo.

Recognizing Shirosaki as a powerful demon, Gin tells him of Ichigo's connection to another demon, Aizen, who wronged him and led to the death of his fiancée, Rangiku. When Gin refuses to reveal his plans with Ichigo, Shiro forces his way into the man's mind and finds out the psychiatrist planned to kill the boy both for revenge and to set his soul free so the demon couldn't claim it. With no intention of releasing Ichigo, Shirosaki learns the true name of Aizen, Chaos de Illusios, and kills Gin so he can't pose a threat to Ichigo.

When Aizen learns of Gin's death, he becomes concerned that one of his 'enemies' was in such a close proximity to the human he wants to claim he becomes concerned and sends underlings to investigate and keep an eye on his charge. Enter Ulquiorra, or Despero, the demon of Despair, who had been trying to keep a quiet eye on Ichigo, until his presence disappeared behind an unknown barrier, forcing closer inspection…

When Ichigo learns of Gin's death, he decides it might be more than a coincidence and goes to confront his not so unwelcomed anymore, demon stalker. Easily sidetracked by the demon's charm, good looks, and a little lustful power boost, Ichigo quickly becomes hazy on the reason for his visit, until he passes out from getting a little too drunk on Shiro's energy. Upset that he unintentionally knocked out his human, Shirosaki decides that Ichigo's dreams should still be fair game, but gets interrupted by incessant knocking at the door…

_Dropping the towel, he threw on a pair of black silk sleep pants before heading to the door. The knocking had increased in frequency and he was already finding himself annoyed with the person on the other side. Pulling open the flimsy wooden door, his scowl was quickly replaced with a blank face of well concealed fury, "Despero…"_

_Snow White Queen (11)_

"I see you managed to make it out of the burning city. Centuries of hiding, and you decide to show your miserable existence now. So what, you finally ready to die?"

To the smaller demon's credit, he did not back down, however Algol could sense the cautious uncertainty in his demeanor. "Honestly you are the last being I expected to be on the other side of this door. Your cloaking abilities have progressed far beyond what I thought you capable. You would fight me again? Sacrifice another unfortunate city in a futile attempt to eradicate me?"

The words stung, as he was certain they were meant. He could never allow himself to forget the cost of his impassioned recklessness all those years ago. The humans may have simply written it off as another unfortunate page in history, but the Fire of Rome was still an all too fresh, healing wound on his conscious.

He felt dark tendrils of energy creep around his aura and snapped out of his exaggerated self-loathing. The mention of the consequences from his loss of control in Rome was not coincidence. Despero was already fighting. Planting the seed of despair by tearing open old wounds, allowing the little parasite to feed from the negative energy produced. It wouldn't matter though; this little roach could suck up enough energy to clone an entire army of himself, and Algol would still have enough left over slaughter them all. Pathetic little fool.

To prove his point, he allowed the others' power to close around his own tightly confined energy, before releasing his restraints and allowing his dark Getsuga flames to lash out, obliterating the filthy green tendrils surrounding him, and knocking their owner back into the wall hard enough to send him crashing through it.

"You seem to be forgetting something very important, little worm. We never fought. You were smarter back then, you hid. The cities destruction just showed how good you were at that feat."

A door opened somewhere across the hall, nosy human neighbor sticking his nose in where his face might get blown off. The ghoul easily hacked the unimpressive mind, and sent the dumb ass to bed as his 'real opponent' climbed up from the rubble in the vacant apartment directly across from his own.

Brushing drywall and flaked paint from his ugly white trench coat, the dark haired, mossy eyed demon sneered, "Still concerned for the trash, I see."

He ignored the weak jab in favor of something he overlooked in his earlier anger, "What the fuck are you doing here if you didn't know who'd answer the door?"

He stood tall, defiance written across his normally expressionless features, but made no further move to attack. "My master has an interesting habit of letting his pet run loose. I believe it has wandered into your...living space."

A smooth, slightly sleep heavy voice interrupted from behind, "Shiro, who are you talking to?"

Well, that certainly was not a few hours, damn. "A cockroach."

Green eyes focused behind him and the emotionless mask made itself at home once more, "Kurosaki Ichigo, your Uncle has requested your presence back home immediately."

Not willing to take his eyes off of the unpredictable ghoul in front of him, he had to ignore the urge to turn around and face his human, who was now moving closer, discontent rolling off him in waves.

Ichigo stopped next to him, looking ready to lash out as well, "So, he has his sneaky little snake following me around now? What the fuck are you doing here Ulquiorra?"

Shirosaki smirks as the very same question he asked just minutes prior gets restated in much the same way by his hot tempered human.

Despero didn't bother masking the distaste in his voice, "I see the two of you share more in common than just looks. You are not fit to be beside Aizen-sama."

Ichigo snorted, "Well, at least we can agree on that."

"In any case, under the circumstances, it is imperative that you return to Japan. Aizen-sama will not stand for you being in this man's vicinity."

Tan arms crossed over the chest of his black t-shirt, "No. Not going back. You can tell 'Aizen-sama' that his hold over me ended when I became an adult and moved half way across the globe. If that doesn't get the point across, the phrase 'go fuck yourself' seems pretty effective."

Just as Despero moved forward with a clear intent to reach Ichigo, a stark white arm slammed into the doorframe in front of the foolish demon's face. In reaching for the lamb, it was obvious that the little weasel forgot about the tiger. And the growl the bigger demon was emitting would definitely do the animal justice.

"Touch him and I'll rip your arm off and beat you to death with it."

Not being his first run-in with the volatile incubus, Despero knew when to call it quits. Algol would indeed follow through with that threat. His death here would only hinder his master's investigation. He had to get out and report his findings immediately.

Next to the simmering demon, Ichigo huffed, "You really think I can't take him?"

Shirosaki allowed himself to relax some as the smaller ghoul stepped back, "He's a demon, Ichi."

Orange brows shot up toward an equally bright hairline, "Bullshit! That little tightwad?"

Green orbs glared accusingly at the incubus, "You have made him aware of our existence?"

Shirosaki shrugged, "Look, I don't screw around like your master. I know how to get what I want."

"The boy has been spoken for by another demon. Your actions violate his claim and will be deemed unlawful."

"Ichigo wandered into my territory pure as the day he was born. If Chaos wanted him, he should' a marked him before he ran away. His loss is my gain. Have fun relaying that message."

"Are you willing to start a war over that?" His long, boney finger pointed at the human. "Aizen-sama has many demons already at his side."

"When one has the ability to raise hell, the size of the opposing force is irrelevant. Best to inform your master exactly who it is he is dealing with."

With that, Shirosaki slammed the door between them and threw up every barrier he could call to mind. If Ichigo's look was anything to go by, he had some explaining to do and interruptions would only make things worse.

And the day had started out so promising…

**The references mentioned in Shirosaki/Algol's ties to ancient Rome (and Ulquiorra/Despero) will be addressed next chapter.

Chapter 10 Review Responses (I think I'm just going to admit defeat on trying to respond individually, I'm really bad at following through…maybe one day I'll make us all proud):

ArisuAmiChan- I shamelessly accept your bribe (even though it's been months and I don't deserve it). Your compliments on my portrayal of Incubus Shiro are greatly appreciated! And thanks for the week/weak correction…it is on my to do list.

Guest- Yes, Grimmjow will make a nice addition…oops did I let that slip?

YooKay- Glad I could give you a laugh…Shiro and his big words ;)

Jakondas- He wasn't alone…my brain short circuited shortly after writing that description.

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo- I'm making myself at home in your closet…we both know I don't deserve to be let out.

Lil Mexican- Whoa tiger ;)…I'm sorry this took so long. I really don't type this slowly, I swear it.

TealEyedBeing- We'll let the towel go later. War you say? Perhaps…

PunkRockHolly- LoL, It really is OK to miss a review every once in a while…Especially since you've been with me for so long. Seniority perks. I think everyone is jonesin' for some Grimm.

ezcap1st- Not quite ready for the showdown yet. The boys need to do a little posturing before battle. The whole 'my side is way better than your side' smack talk.

KawaiiBerry-chan- Ah, it's ok because I'm so late at updating all the time. It has been conveniently escaping my knowledge quite often. So if anyone is lame, it's me. Yep, this chick that hasn't updated in like 4ish months…Anyway now I'm rambling. Glad you enjoyed the chapter!

LiveToTell- Welcome! Hope you're still with me. And yes, this is my first supernatural piece, although I read tons of science fiction books on it and love sci-fi. ;) Glad you like it!

MiSa-sama-MiSa-chan- Thank-you, I am glad you liked it! Well, this chapter certainly answered your question…yep, they definitely know each other lol.

anime-dark-fairy- Thanks! I am happy that you like my style. Though as I'm sure you are now aware, I'm afraid that it's an addiction that gets fed very slowly. Sorry about that, I'm working on it.

Illustrated One- Indeed!

Barranca- Aww, I'm so happy you liked it! That chapter needs more love.

GrimmIchiShiro-fan- Bet you'll like it even more if Grimmjow makes and appearance, eh?

anime-lover890- Glad you are enjoying the plot…it is taking forever to draw out lol. And yes, I love Latin and try to incorporate in in any story it think it will fit. As it turns out, Demons go well with a little Latin. Oh, poor Gin. Yeah, I'll get back to that one in a chapter or two. Ichigo's got a lot on his mind now.

AngelofDeath vs. EmmaAi- I know this isn't soon by any means, but can I make up for it by confirming that Grimm will have a role in this story?

TinkanaiT32- Why hello there! Now that I'm up off my lazy as-butt*, we can be formally introduced. I'm LyricalSin and yes, I love music and its incorporation in my fictional adventures. Glad you have enjoyed Snow White Queen thus far and I hope to keep delivering. By the way, how did calculus go? Man, I really hated that class. I don't mind a little history sometimes though (origins of sadism in chap 8 and the next chapter is going to take us back to ancient Rome-where the bad blood between Shiro and Ulquiorra begins). Hope to keep you interested!

xSunnyStarx- I am so happy that I can make you happy! Thank-you and I will try!

Love Psycho- What exactly did you put in these magic cupcakes? I find myself light as a feather and laughing at very inappropriate times…It's freaking awesome! Glad you are enjoying the story!

Thanks for all the Feedback! You guys rock!


	12. Chapter 12

**Adding a recap to the events in this story has seemed to have become an ongoing necessity as I am VERY slow when it comes to updating. And I am going to be straight with you because I feel that honesty is owed-I don't see update speeds increasing in the near future as I now work, A LOT and it simply burns me out by the time I get home. I promised to finish, and I will, but it will be slow. That said, let me know if the recap at the beginning of the chapter is helpful, or just plain annoying. I need to know if I should keep adding it in. Thanks!

_Recap_:

Ichigo, orphaned as a child due to his parents' murder, is raised by his hated 'Uncle,'(who isn't really his Uncle) Aizen Souske. His desire to get away from his 'Uncle' drives him to do well in school and get a scholarship to study medicine in New York. It is here that his dreams start becoming terrifyingly vivid and realistic, sometimes leaving behind physical evidence in their wake. The one consistent presence in these dreams is an Incubus/Ghoul known as Shirosaki to those he likes, Algol to everyone else.

Desperate to find a solution for his 'sleeping problem,' Ichigo visits Psychiatrist Gin Ichimaru, who has his own ties to the supernatural world- Particularly, a hatred for Aizen, or Chaos, the demon of Illusions. Dosing Ichigo with enough meds to tranq a horse, he begins plans to liberate Ichigo from Aizen's hold by taking his life in their next session. On the way home from obtaining his sleeping pills, Shirosaki reveals his true self to Ichigo, and after some questions concerning his sanity, he is finally convinced of the existence of the supernatural.

Assured that Shiro would only take him willing, Ichigo takes the 'sleep aid' prescribed to him by Ichimaru Gin. After he's out, Shiro examines the bottle and becomes curious about the borderline dangerous dosage of the drug, not to mention becoming livid that he can't 'play' with his human while he's so heavily sedated. So, the next morning he pays a visit to the bold psychiatrist, posing as a patient until he reveals his connection to Ichigo.

Recognizing Shirosaki as a powerful demon, Gin tells him of Ichigo's connection to another demon, Aizen, who wronged him and led to the death of his fiancée, Rangiku. When Gin refuses to reveal his plans with Ichigo, Shiro forces his way into the man's mind and finds out the psychiatrist planned to kill the boy both for revenge and to set his soul free so the demon couldn't claim it. With no intention of releasing Ichigo, Shirosaki learns the true name of Aizen, Chaos de Illusios, and kills Gin so he can't pose a threat to Ichigo.

When Aizen learns of Gin's death, he becomes concerned that one of his 'enemies' was in such a close proximity to the human he wants to claim and sends underlings to investigate and keep an eye on his charge. Enter Ulquiorra, or Despero, the demon of Despair, who had been trying to keep a quiet eye on Ichigo, until his presence disappeared behind an unknown barrier, forcing closer inspection. Upon finding Ichigo in Shirosaki's grasp, Ulquiorra unsuccessfully tries to take him away and back to Aizen.

When Ichigo learns of Gin's death, he decides it might be more than a coincidence and goes to confront his not so unwelcomed anymore, demon stalker. Easily sidetracked by the demon's charm, good looks, and a little lustful power boost, Ichigo quickly becomes hazy on the reason for his visit, until he passes out from getting a little too drunk on Shiro's energy. When he awakes, he finds Shirosaki and Ulquiorra arguing at the door, leading him to find out that not only is Ulquiorra a demon, but has some connection to Shiro's past…

_Snow White Queen (12)_

_Nicomedia, Bithynia- 80 BCE_

It never failed. Every time he walked the halls of the Bithynian palace, servants and royal guests alike would stare. Of course, they were cautious about their attentions, never looking straight on, just frequent glances when they thought he wouldn't notice, but he always knew. Their minds were weak, and their thoughts always the same, from jealousy and fear, to lust and respect, and he always felt their wandering eyes. Although, that was not to say he could really blame them, he had quit altering human minds to make his appearance normal centuries ago. It simply wasted too much energy.

So instead, they see an exotic, golden eyed, rare albino human. Strong in stature, he gracefully glided the halls at 6'1'' and could boast a body hard enough to be cut from marble. To any human who was aware of the existence of the paranormal, he would easily be identified as a demon. Though more specifically, due to his ability to live amongst and interact with the mortal world, he was a ghoul. However, overtime those distinctions have eroded. Even his own kind have grown accustomed to using the terms interchangeably.

Despite running behind for the day, he casually strode through the hall that led to the throne room. The heavy wooden shutters had finally been removed from the windows after a few weeks of inclement weather, and the dank musty stench that had settled was finally being swept away by the fresh air of the outdoors. Pausing for a deep breath, he let his gaze wander from the gardens, to the snow-capped mountains in the distance. The near year round snowy peaks made him incredibly fond of the mountains here. The luscious, fruit bearing valleys and encompassing seas didn't hurt the geographical pleasantries either.

His short moment dedicated to the admiration of nature was abruptly put to a halt when light giggles from his left broke the monotonous sounds of everyday palace living. Following the sound, he caught sight of four young servant girls, trying to be discreet in their appreciation of his physique, but due to his demonic senses, they were failing exponentially. They were new, young, and between the four of them, he should be able to sate his hunger for a while. Flashing the group a devilish smile, he delighted in their reddening faces and unchecked desires before continuing his journey to the throne room. He'd have to remember them for later. One good thing about serving as the right hand of the King, hunting was never much of an issue.

"You're late." It was a simple observation, the mortal King knew better than to be accusatory where a demon was concerned. It was never good to make one of his kind defensive, though Algol considered himself generally easy going, unless of course he was in battle.

A smirk stretched across pale features, "Distracted by the lovely new servants your majesty has so graciously procured. They seem anxious to please. Have I missed anything of importance?"

Nicomedes snorted and shook his head, causing his brown curls to bounce slightly, "No, just some harping about the weather. Like I can snap my fingers and lower the swelling rivers." His square cut jaw tensed and his brow pulled to a scowl over dark eyes, "Though we are expecting an emissary from Roman Asia. Rumor has it they intend to insult us by sending a child to make war negotiations. I can hear it now, 'Nicomedes IV, babysitter at the whim of Roman whelps,' bloody Romans."

He tsk'd the King, "Do not forget that it was the Romans who restored you to your rightful place on the throne. Also, with whom you share a common enemy."

"Shirosaki, why give them credit for something you accomplished? Was it not you who 'persuaded' the Roman senate to intervene on my behalf? They would have done nothing if not for you. Sating your hunger is a very small price to pay for my life."

The demon found no reason to argue, it was true after all. "You pay your debts well."

Nicomedes attempted, but failed to hide a light blush, "Ay, but I am only one man. And it seems that as of late, your hunger grows. Though it is a small thing compared to the defense of our borders."

He quirked a pale brow, "Hence the servant girls?"

The King nodded, "More feeding equals more power, right?"

Of course, the King would do just about anything to avoid battling himself, even if it meant defending his own borders. Nicomedes was lucky he enjoyed himself here. Before he had the chance to respond, their Roman 'guest' had arrived and stole both their attentions.

Golden eyes glinted with curiosity as the Roman Ambassador was announced to the Hall. A lithe, toned man dressed in a standard green toga stepped forward at the introduction, his youth by no means exaggerated by the rumor mill. The golden colored oak leaves atop his light brown tresses seemed a contradiction to his boyish appearance. And based off of the look on Nicomedes' face, the pale, golden eyed demon standing to the right of the throne wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Well, Gaius Julius Caesar, it appears you wear the Civic Crown. Quite rare for one of your age to be a savior of civilians in battle."

Young Caesar seemed unperturbed that the King was currently trying to deduce his worth, and possibly whether or not the Romans meant to honor him by sending a hero, or embarrass him by sending a young inexperienced diplomat, "I assure you, King Nicomedes, the weight of this crown serves only a reminder to me of those needlessly lost to prolonged battle, those I could not save."

If not for the public display, the snowy haired ghoul at the King's side would have cackled at the tilted head and confused look on Nicomedes' face. This 'birthright' ruler knew nothing of the honor and bravery of a true soldier. His words allude to this truth, "Why wear a trinket that reminds you of death, and brings despair?"

Fire seems to light in Caesar's eyes, and his passionate words further ensnare the demon currently masquerading as a human, "No, not despair, but affirmation that strong and swift retaliation must occur to defeat the violators of our peace. It is the very reason of my presence before you good King."

"Very well then young warrior, state your reason for coming to me."

"King Nicomedes, I, Gaius Julius Caesar, do beseech thee for your generous support and resources, to raise a fleet worthy of our empires, in accordance to destroy our shared enemy, the vile Mithridates."

Nicomedes didn't bother hiding his distaste, "A donation to the Roman army?"

"No dear King, the killing blow to Mithridates IV. The only thing between our shared goal and victory is the sea. YOU will be the ultimate cause of his downfall." The kid certainly knew which strings to pull to manipulate a man. Especially a spoiled King whose throne, and life, had been threatened by the very man both sides sought to destroy.

A pregnant pause settled in the room and the demon holds back a sigh, the current King was definitely one for dramatics. The young ambassador before them was obviously sent as nothing more than a formality to ease volatile egos and expedite progress. Anyone worth their salt knew that Bithynia was already in the Romans' pocket.

Still, the young man, he could be no more than twenty, had an air about him that thrummed with intense energy, fully believing, or pretending to believe depending on his acting skills, that the Kings' acceptance was the most urgent concern of the Roman Army.

Finally, Nicomedes saw fit to respond, "The allure of watching that rat fall from his faux throne is appealing enough to warrant further thought on the matter. I shall have a room prepared for you for the duration of your stay until a decision is put forth."

Not discouraged by the decision to wait, Caesar thanks the King in full titles for his consideration, and allows himself to be led away by a servant, leaving Nicomedes to blink in his wake.

Throughout the exchange, the silent demon had been taking notice of the small things most mortals would have missed, like that hint of satisfaction hidden behind youthful excitability, telling him that Caesar already knows he'll achieve what he was sent here for, making him an excellent actor. Then of course, those sharp golden eyes didn't miss the way the King was skillfully hiding his intrigue over such passion, or the lust it caused, currently swimming behind those darkening eyes…

Taking their own leave, Nicomedes waited until they were away from hungry ears before speaking, "Shirosaki?"

The white demon smirked, "Yes, Nico?"

Obviously irritated at the name, but having long ago given up on changing how the ghoul addresses him, the King continues, "How long do you think we can keep him here before the Romans grow tired of waiting for ships?"

He thought about that a second, "Not very long before they see it as a blatant act of defiance. You desire him…" He let the statement hang, waiting for Nicomedes to fill in the blanks.

"Yes. Not long means I will need your influence in the matter. Make him come to me."

Shirosaki tsk'd the human, "Do not forget with whom you speak, mortal."

Quickly catching his error, the human king quickly amended, "I apologize. Is there anything that I can give you to get your help in this matter?"

A menacing smile overcame pale features, "Oh, don't worry dear King. I am sure there is some form of payment we can work out."

_Manhattan, New York-2012_

Ichigo stared at him for a minute before giving a light chuckle and shaking his head, "So, you actually convinced Julius Caesar to sleep with Nicomedes?"

He smirked, "I told yah, I can be very convincing. Great powers of persuasion, remember?" Stretching a pale arm over the back of the couch and behind an orange head of hair, the demon continued, "Nicomedes already being indebted to the Romans made things a bit easier, but for my own purposes, I let both men think they needed me for negotiations-"

"But they really didn't…" Ichigo interrupted, trying to gauge how manipulative Shirosaki really was.

"Most likely not. The two would have probably been able to work something out amongst themselves eventually, but that would've taken time and the Romans were not known for their patience. Either way, why would I pass on an opportunity to have both sides owe me something?"

Ichigo was willing to bet that was rhetorical, but he just had to know, "I'm almost afraid to ask what you got out of that…"

The demon leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes, as if that helped him relive the memory, "After the show he put on in the throne room, Nicomedes wasn't the only one interested in Caesar. I convinced the young emissary that he would not get his ships without laying with Nicomedes, which indebted the King to me."

Ichigo quirked a brow, "And Caesar?"

"For him to become mine, I took advantage of the love he had for his country. I offered Bithynia up to Roman rule upon Nicomedes' death."

Now both orange brows shot up, "So, since Nicomedes was indebted to you-"

Pale lips finished for him, "Upon his death in 74 BC, Nicomedes IV bequeathed the entire Kingdom of Bithynia to Rome."

Ichigo leaned his head back against the pale arm stretched behind him and blinked at the ceiling, "Holy shit."

The soft orange hair tickling his arm had the ghouls attention refocused on his human. He wondered if Ichigo had any idea how enticing he looked when surprised. Perhaps the boy would let him continue later in favor of _other_ activities? The thought was stopped short as Ichigo sat up straight once more and turned to lean against the arm of the couch, now facing him. The serious look told the demon that he probably wouldn't be up for fun at the moment.

"So, what happened with Caesar? And where does Ulquiorra fit into all of this?"

He leaned back again. This chapter of his life was not a short one and it definitely did not have a happy ending. "Yah know, my dirty laundry isn't nearly as promising as what we started when you first got here."

Ichigo wasn't biting, "Don't care, start sorting."

Shirosaki let out a resigned sigh, "Caesar was a rarity, honorable to a fault. To ensure his end of the bargain was sufficiently upheld, he requested that I return to Rome with him. Having learned of my powers by that point, he no longer doubted my capability of coming through with my end of the deal, so it was just a matter of holding up his."

Ichigo leaned forward, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, "So you left with Caesar?"

The demon smirked, "Is that jealousy my keen senses are detecting?"

His counterpart lifted his foot to the couch, knee bent to act as a chin rest. Pink tinted lips smirked back at him, "No. Just trying to come to terms with how much of an incredibly ancient man whore you are."

Shiro couldn't hold back a short cackle; he would never have enough of Ichigo's attitude- defensive sarcasm wrapped in scathingly witty repertoire. "Actually love, I happen to be a rather selective eater." He let his gaze drag over the human's body in a blatantly obvious way, before drawing it back up to now slightly reddened cheeks. He winked when his golden eyes met Ichigo's auburn ones, "Perhaps I should work harder on making that clear to you."

"Yeah, I suppose if you weren't I'd have been able to get rid of you by now. Anyway, quit trying to change the subject. You left with Caesar and…"

Figures it wouldn't be that easy. Too bad demons were shitty pouters. He wouldn't be above a little sympathetic resignation right about now. Accessing the memories of the shit storm that occurred those centuries ago was achingly unpleasant.

"No, I didn't leave with him right away. The bargain I had struck years prior to defend Bithynia was ongoing as territories back then were ever shifting. I told Caesar that I would find him once it was time to fulfill my end of our deal. He left with his fleet a short time later, but returned not long after under the guise of settling some issues for Nicomedes. He then informed me of his goal to make a name for himself, that he wanted to be remembered throughout history. We contracted another deal where he would earn my support in his future ventures, so long as I remained satisfied by him. Then he left again. This time, I wouldn't see him for 5 years…"

_Aegean Sea, Some miles off the Coast of Rhodes-75 BCE_

"I say we demand 20 talents* for the little Roman Rat!" The dirty, near toothless mouth spat as one boney and crooked finger pointed toward the captive Julius. The anonymous pirate's ratty brown, or perhaps greasy blonde, hair and tattered clothing pressed against his skinny frame as the wind picked up. His skin was leathery and dark, years of constant sun exposure attested as to how long he'd led this life. Stealing, kidnapping, ransoming. Most of the other pirates' looks didn't fare much better, but he supposed such things wouldn't matter when he slaughtered the lot of them for taking what was his.

Though true to his personality, Julius refused to sit quietly, mocking his captors every chance he got, "Idiotic barbarians don't even know the value of a Roman. My worth is at least 50 talents." He couldn't help wonder how the kid remained unharmed with that mouth of his.

The man seethed, "I'm gettin' sick o' yer mouth, little Roman cunt, you'll be lucky tah be worth 5 talents when I'm done with yah." As an unimpressive arm pulled back to smack their mouthy captive, what he assumed to be the captain spoke up, a tall lanky bastard with his face obscured by a large, black-rimmed hat, "Touch that investment and yer worthless ass is swimmin'."

Having decided not to butcher them in front of the human he'd taken a liking to 5 years prior, he played his role, using his power to disguise his appearance for the first time in decades, as a negotiator on behalf of Rome. "I was told your demand was 20 talents." He motioned to the Bithynian ship drifting next to the pirates,' "You will find all you ask in the crates aboard the ship."

The captain nodded and sent three men across to gather their payment, before pushing Julius into him. "Hell, if yah tried to leave the little shit here, I'd almost pay yah tah take 'im back. Now get off my ship."

Once in his private cabin on the Bithynian ship, Julius finally spoke, "Did you really only bring 20 talents? What if those scum sucking bastards asked for more after you showed up?"

Lifting the disguise slowly, his hair grew lighter and his voice rose higher in pitch, "Then I'd have just killed the lot of them and taken yah back by force."

He hadn't completely turned back yet, but it was enough to gain the human's recognition, "Shirosaki?"

The demon smirked; skin finally adjusting to his naturally phenomenal lack of color, "Hmnnnn?"

The look of pure shock was slow to fade, but that didn't stop the questions from coming, "How did you-? Where did you-? Why…? I thought you were chained to Bithynia."

"Obligated would be a more appropriate word for it. Many demons have the ability to alter their appearance; though the technique goes widely unused for the most part. And one of the conveniences of a seaside country is how quickly word travels. Your abduction caused quite a disturbance."

Julius mulled over the answers before apparently deciding he was satisfied and plopped down on the rooms' small cot, "What now?"

Shirosaki smirked and began pulling off his shirt, "Now you _pay_ me for my services. Then I go back to Bithynia and you continue on your self- searching journey."

_Manhattan, New York-2012_

Ichigo cast the demon a confused glance, "So that was it? You saved him from pirates and you both went your separate ways like nothing happened?"

"Something like that. I returned to Bithynia well fed, but Caesar pulled his weight with the naval forces to capture the pirates who had abducted him. Shortly after, he crucified all of them. Guess I could have spared him the trouble by slaughtering them all in the beginning after all."

Wide brown eyes blinked back at him, "I thought they treated him rather well and returned him unharmed?"

He smirked, remembering how Julius retold the story, "In all fairness, he did warn them many times that he would kill them all. It was their own fault for not believing him. In fact, they were still in almost the exact spot the exchange was made when he went after them. Idiots."

Ichigo shook his head, "Still seems a little blood-thirsty to me."

"Different times Ichi. Besides, pirates were a scourge in the Mediterranean Sea. The only reason the Romans hadn't done anything about them before was because they provided slaves. About a year after that incident, Nicomedes died and I re-joined Caesar. Together, with a little help from my 'persuasive' capabilities, we led the Roman navy in a sea-wide raid against the pirates. Didn't get all of them, but they were much less of a problem after that."

He imagined it was difficult for a mortal to wrap their mind around so many alterations in the history they were taught, but Ichigo didn't seem to be having too much of a hard time as he gave a short laugh, "So you went from Shirosaki, right hand of the king to Shirosaki, demon pirate hunter?"

He smiled, "I will admit to having a rather lengthy and dynamic résumé. Right behind pirate hunter, we have Shirosaki, secret lover and Enforcer of The Roman Emperor, Gauis Julius Caesar. Once he was with me and our contract in full motion, I remained his shadow and drove him to power within the empire."

It was obvious something clicked in Ichigo's brain when he gave the demon a saddened and slightly worried look, "Caesar was assassinated…"

Guilt tore through him at the remark, but he hid his emotions well, as do most at his age, "We heard rumors of demonic activity in Egypt. A demon backing Cleopatra could have been threatening to the empire, and since I had little trust in Antony's assurances, both he and Julius had been seduced by the woman, I went to Egypt to deduce the worth of the rumor myself." He paused to growl out, "The traitorous bastards in the senate took that time to strike."

Gold on black eyes slid shut as he took a minute before continuing, "The senate had worried for years over Julius' growing power and influence. I had warned him many times to be mindful of their probable betrayal, but he shook off my warnings, having people he trusted among the men in the senate, particularly Brutus."

The demonic voice echoed and dripped with venom at the mention of _that_ name. The trusted 'friend' that helped inflict some of the 23 stab wounds found on Julius' body. "I will never make the mistake of taking chances with the one I care about again." He glanced at Ichigo, the underlying truth of killing Ichimaru Gin on the tip of his tongue to drive the point home, but luckily Ichigo spoke up before he could rashly incriminate himself.

"I'm sorry."

He gave Ichigo a meaningful look, "Thank-you." Though his thanks was more for stopping the words that might have set back all his hard work to win the human than the sympathy he had no use for.

The room was quiet for a few minutes before Ichigo got up the nerve to ask, "What stopped you from killing Brutus?"

"Julius' son, Octavian Caesar. Brutus justified the slaying of Julius by claiming he could no longer contain the despair of watching Rome become victim to dictatorship. Both Octivius and Marc Antony wanted to take everything from the man and make him feel true despair. A feat I considered worthy considering it would be a fate worse than death for someone of Brutus' political stature."

An orange brow rose, "Hence the following civil wars…"

"Yes. With my backing, the Second Triumvirate was formed between Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus. The Second Triumvirate brought back proscription, allowing them to legally murder their opponents in order to fund their legions in the second civil war against Brutus and Cassius. In the end, both Brutus and Cassius, after having lost everything, committed suicide."

Ichigo let out a sigh followed by a small smile, "While a good revenge story is satisfying, I still don't know where Ulquiorra falls in to all of this."

"Sorry, I know the story is lengthy, but I feel it's necessary for you to truly understand the relationships of those involved, myself included, to truly grasp the vileness of Despero's actions."

"Despero?"

A pale hand waved in apology, "Ulquiorra's demonic name is Despero. Where I feed off of lust and the pleasure of sex, he feeds off of human despair."

A short, humorless chuckle escaped Ichigo, "Having known that depressing bastard most of my life, that really doesn't surprise me. Though while it answers a few questions, it creates plenty more…"

"All in due time, dear Ichi. First, it is essential you understand the type of ghoul he is. Despero, despite all appearances, is actually one of the most dangerous demons in existence. While most demons use a human's emotions to their benefit, Despero is unique in the sense that he can access emotions from a being's past. No matter how long it's been, a mere mention of past despair, even if one thinks they are healed of their past misfortune, can be exploited by this creature. He uses his power to target the most recent feelings of despair, and amplifies them to the point of complete mental breakdown. Once he has a target where he wants them, he will manipulate the being into believing that only he can make the pain go away, and thus it most often creates a puppet type effect-the being willing to do anything to escape their despair."

Ichigo looked nearly sick, "Why do I get the feeling you speak from experience?"

"Mostly second hand experience. Despite our similar ages, he is nowhere near strong enough to manipulate me, though that didn't stop him from striking down those around me."

"Caesar?"

The pale demon nodded once, "Unfortunately, despair is never something in short supply, especially for those who have experienced war. He got a strong foothold over the men in the senate, convincing them that a true dictatorship would prolong their despair forever, and told them when the best time was to strike down Caesar."

Abandoning he knee as a chin rest, Ichigo leaned back into the arm of the couch once more and gave Shiro a sad look, "When he knew you were too far away to stop it…"

Shiro nodded again, "And I wouldn't even learn of his involvement for many years. Even after Octavius, I stayed an advisor to keep an eye on the Caesar dynasty, though growing increasingly disinterested as the consecutive rulers lost sight of the honor and bravery that landed them in a life of privilege. It wasn't until the rule of Nero that I learned the truth about Julius' assassination. He found a little black book during one of his many remodels that belonged to Julius. Just before his death, he wrote of a meeting with another demon who made him fall into inexplicable despair and tried to convince him of suicide. Apparently the attempt failed due to his own honor of continuing his end of our bargain. As the days pass, he begins small writings of the strange behavior of many men in the senate, his friends included."

Shiro was quiet for a moment before continuing, "It wasn't hard to put the pieces together. Not only had I lost Julius, but I had failed to take revenge on the main conspirator of his death. Angry, and probably not thinking to clearly, I turned to a group who makes it their business to know the whereabouts of our kind, so they may strike us down as needed-"

Ichigo sat up straight, surprise and confusion mixed on his face, "You mean demon hunters? Can humans actually bring down demons?"

Despite the aura of the story, Shiro smirked at his inquisitive human, "Yes and yes. This particular group call themselves Shinigami, and their aim is to protect humans from demonic interference. Most are spiritual beings who train their entire lives for the cause."

Ichigo looked at him in disbelief, "And you just waltz right up to them, a demon killing group, to do what exactly?"

Shiro snorted, "I never claimed it was a smart move, but nonetheless, once it was established I was after that particular demon, they gladly informed me he was still somewhere in Rome, and openly shared their hopes that we'd kill each other. Clearly, they didn't account for the innocent lives that stood between an angry demon and his prey, or they would have told me to search in the middle of an ocean somewhere."

He could hear Ichigo swallow from here, his voice tight, "What do you mean?"

And here it was, the moment of truth he has been dreading and prolonging all night. He couldn't even look Ichigo in the eye as he spoke, "In a blind fury, I howled Despero's name loud enough for all of Rome to hear. I could now feel his presence hovering in the city, but like the Shinigami, could not pinpoint the location. When he did not emerge to face me, I became desperate and livid, releasing the wrath of my power over Rome. The excessive charged energy in the air sparked fires all over the city, yet it wasn't enough to stop me. Having lost sight of everything aside from vengeance, I poured more power over the city, intent on burning him out. Among all things, the screams, folding houses, cackling flames, it was a single baby's cry from a nearby house that pulled me from the mind-numbing rage that had consumed me."

Reliving this memory was always the worst, and he didn't know whether to be thankful, or terrified for Ichigo's silence, allowing him to continue, "Encouraged by the horror and guilt over what I had done, I hunted down the source of the cry. The source came from a mercilessly burning room, clasped in the lifeless arms of a young woman, no more than nineteen. How the child survived I have no idea, but despite his rescue, he was orphaned. The full scale of what I had caused finally began to register-children without parents, parents without their children, whole families destroyed or torn apart by my flames. As if on cue, as my grieving guilt reached its peak, Despero finally appeared. He assumed feeding on my own despair would demolish the difference in our power, make him stronger while I grew weaker. It might have even worked, had I not already expended so much energy, still stagnant in the air and flickering within the flames. That was an energy only I could control, and he unknowingly hovered in an ocean of it. I re-directed all of that power at him, a ruthless intent to kill. Holding the still wailing baby in my arms, I turned and walked away, the flames of my wrath showing no mercy to the screeching beast I left behind."

Shiro stood and turned away from the shocked human, "My power annihilated a third of Rome that night in what history now calls, The Fire of Rome, 64 AD."

*20 talents is ~5,000 gold coins and 50 talents is ~12,000 gold coins. Cocky little shit wasn't he?

**Reason #27 why LyricalSin should be banned in classrooms worldwide: I should point out that, aside from the obvious, I took some fictional liberties with history here. Not to confuse your knowledge of actual history, Caesar hadn't earned the Civic Crown (yet) when he travelled to Bithynia. And when he did actually earn it, he enjoyed showing it off to his enemies. I just changed things around a bit to make him more enticing to a demon. And no, a lustful incubus did not play a part in creating the history of the Roman Empire (…most likely) ;)

Oh, I'd also like to point out that there really was a rather convincing rumor that Nicomedes and Caesar got it on. Something his enemies would use against him, 'the Queen of Bithynia,' later.

Review Responses to Chapter 11:

TealEyedBeing- Yep, just like he got PWNED centuries ago

Afrieal- I am glad you enjoyed it! And thank you for understanding that life has a habit of getting in the way of an author's hobby. Special hello to your cats (crazy cat person myself)!

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo- Remember me? I got lost in your closet… I miss corresponding with you, sorry I haven't been on in…months.

Jakondas- Yes, Shiro did have to explain more. And more explanations are sure to be needed after dropping that bomb, yes?

inconspicuous regress- This one was a bit longer…I know it doesn't quite make up for months of dormancy, but does the recap help?

Tinad09- Thank you very much!

ArisuAmiChan- You probably don't remember (it's been a long time) but you asked if Aizen was going to mark Ichigo before he left Japan. It was always his plan to mark Ichigo once he had finished maturing-we will get into the concept of demon markings later. Now, he has to go through Shiro Ah the freshly sewn drama. Thanks for the review, the 'awesome' comment, and the goodie basket!

Love Psycho- I think I put laziness in the magic cupcakes…mixed with some hallucinogenic drugs. No, Ichigo isn't the 'just sit on the sidelines' kind of guy. Haha, and you thought the last chapter was informative lol. I'm sure it's not hot where you are anymore, but magic ice cream tastes just as good to me in the cold!

JBubbles- Sorry, not so soon. But yes, with things escalating, Aizen is sure to make an appearance soon.

Dawn chase- Thank you! And sometimes an author just needs the right motivation. Coming back to my reviews normally helps get me moving. Even if it's just little bits at a time.

Fushichou Ryuu- Glad you like it! Thanks a lot!

Paperbear11- I am glad you enjoy (most) of the story so far. Apologies for going a little rough on Ulquiorra, I have a habit of picking on him. I am depicting him based on how Shiro and Ichigo would perceive his character considering the role he played in each of their lives. Unfortunately, he is rather easy to 'demonize.' It won't get worse though. Thank you for the review!

Misa-sama-Misa-chan- Of course Ulquiorra would be jealous of Aizen's attention toward Ichigo ;) Any more questions on the Fire of Rome?- (yes it did actually happen, minus the demons). Thanks!

YooKay- Does the slowness of my updating system still surprise you? Sorry it took so long. Thanks for reading!

Twilightserius- I hope the chapters following the first lived up to you expectations

Luna takamarie- 'trapped in the closet'-?

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper- Gin Ichimaru, gone but never forgotten. I hope Shiro's past experience with people wanting to kill his lover help explain why Gin had to go so soon. Grimm's a' comin'

Nutella The Darkest Sin - Thanks! I'll try!

Fucki- Indeed.

Jessica- haha punny! Glad you like it

shadowX101- Yeah, me either. Sorry it took so long.

Black-misty-sky- Thanks! I am glad you are enjoying it. And a not so secret secret…Grimm will make an appearance eventually ;)

*Again thanks for your reviews…they ignite motivation when I finally get around to writing!

L-Sin 12/30/12


	13. Chapter 13

_ WAIT! Before anyone asks, Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo._

_**Recap-Chapters 1-12**:_

Ichigo, orphaned as a child due to his parents' murder, is raised by his hated 'Uncle,'(who isn't really his Uncle) Aizen Souske. His desire to get away from his 'Uncle' drives him to do well in school and get a scholarship to study medicine in New York. It is here that his dreams start becoming terrifyingly vivid and realistic, sometimes leaving behind physical evidence in their wake. The one consistent presence in these dreams, an Incubus/Ghoul known as Shirosaki to those he likes, Algol to everyone else.

Desperate to find a solution for his 'sleeping problem,' Ichigo visits Psychiatrist Gin Ichimaru, who has his own ties to the supernatural world- Particularly, a hatred for Aizen, or Chaos, the demon of Illusions. Dosing Ichigo with enough meds to tranq a horse, he begins plans to liberate Ichigo from Aizen's hold by taking his life in their next session. On the way home from obtaining his sleeping pills, Shirosaki reveals his true self to Ichigo, and after some questions concerning his sanity, he is finally convinced of the existence of the supernatural.

Assured that Shiro would only take him willing, Ichigo takes the 'sleep aid' prescribed to him by Ichimaru Gin. After he's out, Shiro examines the bottle and becomes curious about the borderline dangerous dosage of the drug, not to mention becoming livid that he can't 'play' with his human while he's so heavily sedated. So, the next morning he pays a visit to the bold psychiatrist, posing as a patient until he reveals his connection to Ichigo.

Recognizing Shirosaki as a powerful demon, Gin tells him of Ichigo's connection to another demon, Aizen, who wronged him and led to the death of his fiancée, Rangiku. When Gin refuses to reveal his plans with Ichigo, Shiro forces his way into the man's mind and finds out the psychiatrist planned to kill the boy both for revenge and to set his soul free so the demon couldn't claim it. With no intention of releasing Ichigo, Shirosaki learns the true name of Aizen, Chaos de Illusios, and kills Gin so he can't pose a threat to Ichigo.

When Aizen learns of Gin's death, he becomes concerned that one of his 'enemies' was in such a close proximity to the human he wants to claim and sends underlings to investigate and keep an eye on his charge. Enter Ulquiorra, or Despero, the demon of Despair, who had been trying to keep a quiet eye on Ichigo, until his presence disappeared behind an unknown barrier, forcing closer inspection. Upon finding Ichigo in Shirosaki's grasp, Ulquiorra unsuccessfully tries to take him away and back to Aizen.

When Ichigo learns of Gin's death, he decides it might be more than a coincidence and goes to confront his not so unwelcomed anymore, demon stalker. Easily sidetracked by the demon's charm, good looks, and a little lustful power boost, Ichigo quickly becomes hazy on the reason for his visit, until he passes out from getting a little too drunk on Shiro's energy. When he awakes, he finds Shirosaki and Ulquiorra arguing at the door, leading him to find out that not only is Ulquiorra a demon, but the demon of despair, linked to the death of the man Shiro loved many years ago-Gaius Julius Caesar.

* * *

_**Snow White Queen (13)**_

**_Midtown Manhattan, New York- January 2, 2013_**

"Of all god forsaken places, that bastard sends me on a mission to this shithole." He couldn't understand why he was needed here at all. His eyes sharply glanced through the smoggy overcast of the city below, nose snorting out the putrid scent of various air pollutants. He did resist the urge to cover his ears; the atrocious noises from the damn thing doing their part to add to his growing irritation. Surely, there was another among their ranks that would be more suited to this job. Despite the daunting over-population in New York City, locating Aizen's brat should be easy enough. They had an address for fuck's sake! Drag the human back, yada, yada. He was a hunter, not a babysitter damn-it!

Thankfully, the light wind from the west seemed to be gradually getting stronger, helping him breathe easier. He wasn't used to such polluted and populated cities, preferring missions in the jungle's and various war zones. Leaning back on his heels, he glances from his perch on top of the Empire State Building, up to the grey-black sky. Not a star could be seen with the amount of light radiating from the infernal city below. Such an impressive amount of energy totally wasted on the dull species filling their streets.

Turning his head back down, his gaze passes over-used black cargos and dull boots of the same color, to the bustling city and tries to refocus his attention on the mission. He contemplates the information he has on the demon, Algol, and still has a hard time wrapping his head around how a lust demon could give Aizen cause to send him half way across the fucking globe. The ultimate_ Destroyer_ sent after some perverted sex addict demon and human brat? Maybe his employer was finally going senile in his old age. Why couldn't Despero handle this?

That thought gave him pause. Ulquiorra might not look it, but the little bastard was pretty damn old and powerful. Perhaps the lust demon was even older? Now he wished he hadn't dozed off in the briefing. No matter, he's not beyond enjoying a little surprise in battle. Though he's only lived half the years Despero can boast, what he lacks in age can always made up for in bloodlust. That and he's not above fighting a little dirty to get the job done. Come to think of it, that is probably why he's here. Deadly blue eyes flash as he finally jumps from his perch to get some work done. 'Can't get it done right the first time, send in _The Destroyer_.'

**_Lower Manhattan, New York- January 2, 2013_**

Letting out a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying in vain to curb the oncoming headache, "Finals are over Shiro, therefore our deal has expired. Now out of my bed." He spared a glance at the smirking demon, reclining so casually on his not so roomy, twin mattress. Clearly, the beast had no intention of moving.

"Not so fast, Ichi. Our deal was that I would stop tamperin' with yer' dreams if yah let me sleep with you. Never said anything about finals. I've just been generously letting you catch up on much needed rest the past couple weeks."

He knew it was more than 'generosity' that kept Shiro away. Ever since the visit from Ulquiorra, the pale incubus has been 'securing his territory,' whatever that means. Unfortunately, that isn't doing anything to help his current predicament. It was nights like this that make the young man wish he had just let the demon emotionally crumble when he learned about his Roman past. He probably could have crushed this infatuation then by calling the demon a monster and putting on a show of exaggerated fear. But truth was, he wasn't afraid of Shiro anymore, and he didn't blame him for his past actions either. He seemed to beat himself up over it enough anyway, so it wasn't likely that his history would repeat itself. In the end, Ichigo didn't have it in him to berate the uncharacteristically depressed incubus. On occasion though, he was inclined to regret that decision, at least for the cost of his slowly deteriorating sanity.

"So, what then? Just going to sleep next to me forever? If the deal keeps you from doing anything else, like being my personal bedtime parasite, how are you going to feed?" And as soon as the last question left his mouth, he could have banged his head against the wall in regret.

The brilliant smirk grew exponentially, "Worried about me, Princeps mi?"

Another thing that was beginning to get on his nerves; Shiro recently began dropping Latin words and phrases in conversation. He was bilingual yes, but Japanese and English didn't do much to help him translate Latin. Still, there were a few phrases he heard Shiro use often enough that he'd manage to look up, "Quit calling me that. I'm not yours, and I'm most certainly not a Prince."

The demon appeared to ignore the retort as he reclined his head on the pillow and closed his eyes, "There is no need to worry about me. Besides, it won't be just sleeping forever. You've already given in, even if you have yet to admit it to yourself."

He crossed his arms and snorted, "Don't get cocky, just 'cause I haven't kicked you out yet." He was still trying to weigh whether Shiro's value as eye candy and Ulquiorra repellent was worth the frustration of being around him.

"Such a stubborn Prince. Remember Ichi, it's not your dreams I feed off of, it's yer' lust. I can increase your lust by action, or dream play, but I have not done either in weeks, and yet, I am by no means starving."

The demon cracked black and gold eyes open, and glanced his way, most likely to gauge his reaction. Despite this knowledge, he still failed to hide the blush he felt forming, Shiro's words hitting closer to home than he'd ever admit out loud. So instead, he falls back on good old denial, "You haven't even been here for a couple weeks. How are you so sure it's my lust you are feeding from?"

The smirk finally dropped as the demons whole being rose and fell with a loud sigh, "It feels like you are trying to exhaust my patience."

It wasn't said with any real conviction, but he still bristled, "Pot, kettle."

Shiro's lips quirked up in one corner, showing he was still amused despite his last statement, "As I've told you once before, we are connected in a way that allows me to reach you, whatever our physical distance. And since I know you are going to ask, the connection is a mental marking I gave you the first time I entered your dreams. You should really be more careful where you fall asleep by the way; Subways are perfect hunting grounds for predators."

He supposed the statement about their connection should make him feel trapped, but with his 'uncle's' clear intent to drag him back to Japan, he can't help but feel a bit grateful. The incubus clearly had no intention of letting him get taken away, which suited his current needs just fine. Despite the reason it happened, Shiro had given him the ability to finally feel somewhat safe from the creep. "Thanks."

Gold on black eyes snapped open impossibly wide and Ichigo swore that Shiro had stopped breathing. Ah shit. That just slipped right past his mental filter. He couldn't believe he just thanked the asshole for being able to invade his privacy whenever the demon damn well pleased. He couldn't even play it off as sarcastic at this point. Fuck.

The demon, apparently regained his mental faculties first, "That's definitely not what I expected. What's wrong?" He did actually look slightly alarmed.

Well, he supposed he had few options at this point. He could tell Shiro the truth about the train of thought that led to the blasted word slipping out, he could try playing the dumb card 'Oh for reminding me there are creeps on trains,' or he could lie and say he was thanking the demon for leaving him alone the past couple weeks despite his ability to just drop in whenever. Unfortunately, he hated lying and Shiro knew he wasn't stupid. So, he decided it would be best to just suck it up and admit what he's been trying to hide for years, "I know it's not the reason you did it, but it makes me feel better knowing that my uncle can't just send his lackeys in to drag me back. I mean, if they tried-"

Rage crossed the demon's normally carefree façade, causing his sentence to stall but apparently, Shiro heard enough, "If they try, I'll slaughter 'em."

The statement came out more as a growl, and Ichigo found himself wondering, not for the first time, if allowing the incubus this close to him was a good idea. Shiro's features changed again as those unnatural eyes caught his own, the look was still serious, but no longer terrifying, "Sorry, Ichigo. It seems I react strongly to your fear. I'm not tryin' to scare yah, but demons are naturally, very territorial beings. You might not like to hear it, but the mental mark is only the first of four markings, and it signifies the intent of the other three. I'm bein' as patient as I can, but knowing this bastard is trying to take you has my demonic instincts all in a shit-storm frenzy."

Well, if he wasn't chalk full of questions and insecurities before, "First of four?" The question came out quieter than he'd wanted, but he was sure Shiro heard him anyway. Hell, he was having a hard enough time with the first mark and now Shiro wants to give him three more? He wasn't sure now if he was more afraid of facing the manipulative, sleazy Aizen, or facing three more marks of…What exactly? Ownership? Not to mention there is still the question that he's been afraid to ask since Ulquiorra showed up on Shiro's doorstep; why exactly does his 'uncle' Aizen have demons on the payroll and licking his shoes?

His mind was such a chaotic mess, that he didn't notice he was being moved until Shiro set him on the bed. Well his mind was beyond distracted and demons were damn fast. It's also possible he's in shock. "You were starting to sway a bit, just relax and I'll answer whatever questions you have. I take it you want me to start by explaining the marks?"

His throat was dry and he had a hard time finding his voice, but he managed a nod and Shiro took that as a good sign to begin, sitting next to him on the edge of the bed, "Well, you are already familiar with the first, a mental mark is given when a demon leaves their power signature in a particular human's psyche. It acts like a beacon to the demon the power originates from, but fades over time; the more powerful the demon, the longer it takes the mark to fade."

He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, "So the mark you gave me will eventually go away?" He couldn't understand why this information didn't excite him more; he'd finally been given for a loophole for this mess, but now he knows the mark could work in his favor, and that he can't escape Aizen alone.

Shiro leaned down and pecked him on the forehead, too quick to be batted away, "Don't get too comfy with that thought. My mental mark will take decades to fade, and once the third is completed, it's permanent. Moving on, the second mark, actually is more beneficial to the human that the demon…"

The incubus let that statement hang in the air a bit, clearly knowing that it was an attention grabber, "It makes the human more attune to the supernatural, also making them harder for other demons to influence."

Ichigo shifted his weight to his elbows, leaning up to see Shiro better, "Other demons, being not you?"

Shiro tilted his head, looking a bit contemplative, "That's right. My influence over you would stay the same until the third mark."

Does that mean he would be 'strong' enough to keep Shiro out of his head? "So the third mark boosts my resistance to your influence?"

Shiro's chuckle filled the room and seemed to vibrate along his skin, "Quite the opposite actually, the third mark is an irrevocable bond that makes the human far more sensitive to the needs and desires of the demon that marked them. But before you get all bitchy about it, the fourth mark does the same thing to the demon. When all four marks are complete the awareness each other is heightened; each 'Bonded,' as they're referred, instinctually has the desire to please the other and is completely in tune with the other's emotions. Or at least that's what I've been told."

He felt his eyes widen to reflect his surprise, "Wait, you've never done this?" Surely with Caesar he had-

"No. Julius would only allow me up to the second mark. And I deeply regret the decision to not push him into the other two. Had we been fully bonded, I would have been able to sense that he was in danger." The pale demon leaned down again, catching Ichigo by surprise and pushing him back down into the pillow, ashen lips attaching to his, that dexterous tongue forcefully making its way to his own. The kiss was full of heat, passion, desire and…desperation. When the demon did eventually pull back, he'd only managed one breath before echoing words stole it once more, "Ichigo, I will not make the same mistake twice."

The raw emotion in that one statement had his own reeling; Anger, fear, longing…he's not sure where the emotional roulette wheel would have settled, because the next thing he knew Shiro's eyes widened in fear and he was tucked under the solid, white, and bare muscled chest as an explosion rocked the building, drywall, brick and glass bursting inward as a large portion of his apartment wall was blasted in from the outside.

As soon as the damaging, hard and sharp debris settled, Shiro was up and between his bed and the gaping hole in his apartment wall, growling another strange Latin word, barely audible through his still ringing ears, "Vastator."

Then he heard another voice, deep and rumbling, "Yeah, but I'd much prefer tah introduce myself to your pretty little friend as Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

His apartment…Wait! Did this fucker just call him pretty?!

* * *

**Enter Grimmjow. About time, right?

*Latin Translations: Princeps mi = my Prince

Vastator = Destroyer

Review Responses:

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: I know you are mad about how long I've been absent, but even with your anger, words cannot express how much I miss you and your closet. Unless some Really unfortunate accident occurs, I promise to finish this, however long it may take.

Dawn chase: Thank you, and Thank you! No, I'm afraid I'm not some famous author. If I were, I would have been murdered by my editor for never meeting deadlines long, long ago. I'm flattered though!

YooKay: Less history here. ;)Acceptable?

insaneAi: I love your review! I hope you are still around to receive my gratitude. And I will keep the recap! Thanks!

ArisuAmiChan: Thank you, and I hope this answered some of your questions about the marks. LoL Happy holidays..? I suppose it's been a while huh? Mine were good. I hope yours were as well.

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper: Thanks dear! And yes, poor Rome never saw it coming.

TealEyedBeing: Thanks so much! You can believe my version of Roman history all you want, but for your sake, please keep the truth from your professors ;)

JBubbles: Eh, it seems like I occasionally forget about this fic being ongoing as well. I'm glad you still like it and I'm sorry it takes so long for me to update. Your reviews are still wonderful, and I thank you.

DontBeASourLemon: Yum, Yum…

Fucki: Please don't beat yourself up over it and definitely don't kill yourself. I enjoy hearing from all my readers, no matter what they have to say. I am a firm believer in everyone being entitled to their own opinions. I'm not sure what Gamegrumps is, but I'm afraid my plate is already too full to start more fics…the Snow White Queen community might murder me.

PunkRockHolly: HOLLY! I missed you tooo! Your reviews and messaging and stuff…You have been with me for so long, I really do treasure your reviews. And yes, my work is fantastic, despite eating up so much of my time! Hope to hear from you again!

ShizuBABE: Thank you very much! I always seem to have trouble with plot lines. Normally my stories veer toward focusing on the dirtier aspects. Glad you like it.

Poppybro: Thanks, it was a new genre for me so I'm glad you like it.

Raindropdew: I am glad you like it! And yes, despite Ichigo's stubbornness, they will continue to grow closer. Thanks for the review and favorite!

L-Sin 7/7/13


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